Long Roads By Moxie and Vick
by Vick Pena
Summary: The long road of decisions for the sake of real love
1. Default Chapter

Moxie says: We do so enjoy sending these things back and forth until we think we have an readable story. There are so many great N/D fictions out there, every one with a slightly different take on the characters. Vick comes up with most of our plots, and I add to them and do some editing. My Mexican friend's English is super now, he puts me to shame that I know about three words in Spanish.  
  
Vick says: Niles sadly sees how his life is going to hell, how his precious belongings vanish, his car, his house, his practice, all under the power of Maris' legal team. He settles at the Shangri La trying to find the way to get over the heavy load that suddenly fell over his shoulders, but, what will be the price he will have to pay to get his life back?...  
  
All legal disclaimers apply to this work of fiction, Frasier and its characters belongs to other people, although, we may claim the character of Jim Gillespie.  
  
The Long Road: All I need Take everything from me, throw me out to the street But I assure you, no matter what you can do to me, Maris I won't go back, 'cause you see, Daphne is All I Need.  
  
by Moxie and Vick  
  
  
  
Jim Gillespie placed his saxophone on it's rack and rolled his eyes. He hated it when something interrupted his rehearsals. It was happening again.  
  
Somebody was knocking at his door.  
  
He walked to the door and opened it. He was startled to see a slim blonde man standing there. Dressed in an Armani suit, of all things.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Good evening," the man said formally. "I am Dr. Niles Crane, your new neighbor. Would you mind not playing that horrible instrument just now? I am trying to work."  
  
"Jim Gillespie. New neighbor, huh?" Jim asked. He didn't know there was anyone new in the building. Gary, his last one, had 'left' a few weeks ago, rather abruptly.  
  
"Yes," the little man explained. "I just moved in next door and I need to do some paperwork for my office and your noise isn't helping my concentration."  
  
"Noise, huh?" Jim asked.  
  
"Yes," Niles said. "Please, save it for another day, all right? Thank you." With that he spun around and left.  
  
Jim shrugged his shoulders and closed the door.  
  
He returned to his chair and took his beloved sax, and began the next song with all the force he could muster. That was quite a lot, because Jim...or Jimbo, as the others in the building called him, was six foot four and weighed over 220 pounds.  
  
There was another knock at the door.  
  
Jimbo sighed in exasperation.  
  
"Yes?" he said in irritation as he opened it to find this Niles person standing there - again.  
  
"Listen, Mr. Gillespie, I am this close to calling the police and reporting you for noise pollution."  
  
"Noise pollution, huh?" Jimbo asked, folding his arms. Niles took a step back.  
  
"I..." Niles stammered "Please, I need some peace."  
  
"Look, Dr. Crane, I am hard at work ad-vancing my career here. Do you think I want to be a mechanic all my life?" Jimbo pointed at his beloved instrument. "I need to get a po-sition with a jazz band and this here in- strument is my ticket. People in the building say I'm pretty good."  
  
"I guess after a few beers a screeching cat can sound like the voice of an angel," Niles said sarcastically, "but I can assure you, Mr. Gillespie, you have no musical talent."  
  
Jimbo was about to slam the door in Niles' face when a sudden thought occurred.  
  
"Hey, you're that shrink from the radio, aren't you?"  
  
"No, that 'shrink' is my brother," Niles stated. "But if you promise to stop I will. get you an autographed photo?" Niles assumed a silly grin.  
  
"Come on in, Doc," Jimbo, finally smiling, motioned him in. Niles just stood there. "Have a drink with me."  
  
"No, thank you."  
  
"Come on, I'm not gonna bite ya."  
  
"By the size of your stomach I'd say you'd swallow me whole." Niles turned to run.  
  
"Whole, huh?" Jimbo laughed and dragged Niles inside the apartment. "How about that drink?" he offered.  
  
"I..." Niles stalled. "Well, just a quick one, and then I have to get back to my files." He gingerly sat on the shabby couch.  
  
Jimbo was by the kitchen, which, of course, was in the same room the rest of the apartment. At the Shangri La the apartments were, well.cozy. Everything was right at hand, even the bedroom. All you had to do was to pull the bed out from the wall and, voila! - instant bedroom. In the morning, a quick lift and you had your living room again.  
  
That kind of comfort made Niles sick. He so wished to wake up one day and find himself in his silk sheeted bed at the Montana. Not in this place with the ridiculous name where all the tenants were manual laborers with big egos. Like Jimbo here, the fat man with the sax, who had annoyed Niles since day one. Playing that thing at all hours as though he were. Bill Clinton. A total annoyance.  
  
But not less a one than Martinez, the Mexican with the 'Don Juan' delusion and his endless parade of bimbos. Or Peter McGuire, the man with the hundred voices. The guy could fake everybody's voice, his included. The list was endless.  
  
All Niles really wanted was for his situation to get resolved as quickly as possible. Then he'd return to his normal life, surrounded by his books, fine wines, his Victorian apartment and his ivy league social circle.  
  
Jimbo was offering him a beer. Niles took it, made a face, and opened it  
  
"So, Doc, how do like our little home?"  
  
Niles wanted to say what he really thought about the damned place, but he opted for the polite answer.  
  
"Classy." He sipped his beer.  
  
"Yeah, you could say that, huh?" Jimbo said with pride.  
  
Niles gave himself a mental pat on the back. Perhaps if he was civil with this portly man he would agree to be quiet, at least for the night..  
  
"Yes, I am still getting use to it." Niles admitted.  
  
"Gee, I can't wait to tell people the famous Dr. Crane's brother lives next door."  
  
"I'd prefer that you didn't..." Niles stated.  
  
Jimbo dragged his chair over to Niles and sat in front of him. The wooden chair creaked a bit but seemed to support him, for the time being.  
  
"So, you meet the rest of the gang yet?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Gillespie, they all were very friendly the day I arrived."  
  
Jim held up his hand. "Would you stop being so po-lite? I am not your patient, like I'd ever need a shrink, huh!" he said. "Call me Jimbo."  
  
Niles smirked. "Ok, Jimbo," Niles downed the last of his beer and stood. "I have to go now. It's been nice meeting you, but I have to get back to work."  
  
"Man, you really can't take a break, can you, huh?" Jimbo rose and walked with him to the door.  
  
"Neither, I guess, can you." Niles shot.  
  
The fat man laughed "Ok, Doc, you win. I will keep Little Sally quiet today."  
  
"Little. Sally?" Niles paused in the doorway.  
  
"My sax," Jimbo explained.  
  
Niles chuckled and stepped out and into the hallway. "Good night, Jimbo."  
  
"Oh, Dr. Crane, we all get together in the Entertainment Room on Thursday nights for some R&R. Join us sometime, huh!" Jim said as Niles walked away.  
  
* * *  
  
"I love you, Niles." Baby rocked on her perch, staring at Niles, who was busy with his paperwork, bills, mostly. "I love you, Niles."  
  
Niles sighed .  
  
"I love you too, Baby," he said absently, adding up the total.  
  
With his accounts frozen by Maris' lawyers it was nearly impossible for him to pay all his bills. His credit at Armani, Hugo Boss, and all his regular stores was gone, his credit cards had been voided, and his credit at Le Cigar Volant had vanished. It was all gone, all but the bills, forwarded to him by Maris as a way to humiliate him even more.  
  
Niles crumpled the paper and then breathed deeply, trying to remain calm. He needed to control himself. As his brother had said, maybe this was the price he had to pay for his freedom. If that was the case, he would do it, and then...well, then he would do whatever he needed to let Daphne know how he loved her.  
  
Hoping she would love him too.  
  
And if that happened, all the suffering would be nothing but a vague memory.  
  
"I love you, Niles," the cockatoo said again, but Niles was far away. His mind left the building and flew through Seattle until it landed next to where Daphne was setting the table in apartment 1901 in the Elliot Bay Towers.  
  
She was wearing a black cocktail dress with her hair in a pony tail. Her beautiful brown eyes were scanning the table, trying to find something amiss with the dishes, the glasses and the lit candles.  
  
Soft music and her perfume made the picture complete.  
  
"Do you know how much I love you?" Niles said to her and Daphne, surprisingly, answered...  
  
"Niles sucks!"  
  
Niles snapped back to reality when he realized what his bird had just said. It made him angry. That phrase had to come from one of the 'boys' in the building. Maybe Frank taught Baby that atrocity. Niles had left the bird with him for an entire day.  
  
"What do you just say?" Niles asked, rising from his chair.  
  
"I love you!" Baby replied. "Cookie, Niles, cookie!!"  
  
Niles sighed and decided to skip the issue for now. It was late, and he had to take advantage of the silence his neighbor was kind enough to provide by not playing 'Little Sally'.  
  
"Cookie!" Baby demanded.  
  
"No, Baby," he said. "You have been a bad bird, and you will not get cookies until you refine your vocabulary. Now , if you excuse me, I am going to my bedroom." He then went and pulled his bed down from the wall. "There."  
  
Oh, God. Here he was, talking to a bird and denying it a cookie, feeling miserable in an apartment surrounded by men he used to simply ignore.  
  
Niles lay down in bed after giving Baby her cookie. He didn't have the heart to let his only companion go without her treat.  
  
* * *  
  
Eddie barked, trying to attract his master's attention, but it was impossible. Martin was watching his favorite baseball team beat the Yankees in the World Series.  
  
The dog barked again and ran to fetch his leash, placing it at the foot of his master's chair. Martin just cheered another score and sipped his beer.  
  
Eddie whined a little, and then barked louder.  
  
Martin's eyes were still fixed on the TV.  
  
Eddie was about to jump into Martin's lap when he saw his salvation coming from her room. The dog grabbed the leash and ran to Daphne, placing it at her feet.  
  
Daphne smiled warmly at the pleading dog.  
  
"Time for your walk, Eddie?" she asked and the dog barked. "Mr. Crane?"  
  
Martin was still lost in his game and didn't reply.  
  
Daphne frowned and snatched the remote control from his side table. She turned the TV off at the precise moment the Mariners' player made a hit and run on second base. Martin opened his mouth in shock and looked for the remote frantically. Then he looked up to see her standing there.  
  
"Oh, hello, there you are, Mr. Crane."  
  
"Turn the TV back on, Daphne!" he demanded, pointing at the black screen. "We're about to win!!"  
  
"Oh, you can talk," she said in fake surprise, leashing the pooch. "I'll just take Eddie for his walk."  
  
"Good," he said.  
  
"See you later," she said sweetly.  
  
"Daphne! The TV!" She threw him the remote. Martin juggled with it and finally resumed his game.  
  
"Now you know how to make him pay attention, Eddie," she said while they were waiting for the elevator. Eddie barked, satisfied.  
  
Daphne left the building and headed for the park, walking among people who were enjoying the first sunny day in weeks. The pavement was mostly dry, with some puddles here and there as a reminder of the days before.  
  
Eddie was almost running; he knew where Daphne was taking him. That fancy poodle should be there by now and he wanted to play with her.  
  
But Daphne slowed down at the intersection. She saw something to her right  
  
Parked at the side of the road was a small red hatchback with its hood open. Water was pouring from the engine and a man she knew was looking at it helplessly with his arms folded.  
  
Daphne couldn't believe what she was seeing. When Mr. Crane said Dr. Crane was having financial problems she never imagined this. Or the look in his eyes right now. That broken down hatchback was his.  
  
"Dr. Crane!" Daphne said, trying to sound cheerful.  
  
Niles looked at her in defeat. Too late to try to escape now.  
  
"Hi, Daphne," he said softly.  
  
"Problems?" she asked tentatively.  
  
"Yes," he replied. "It just started doing that, I barely made it here." He sighed.  
  
Daphne suppressed a chuckle. "Oh, come on, Dr. Crane," she said, leaning forward to take a look at the engine. "A good mechanic can fix that in no time."  
  
He smiled. She always could make him feel better. "I guess you're right."  
  
"When I heard you were having financial troubles I never imagined this." Niles shrugged shoulders while looking her in the eye. "Sorry," she said immediately, "I shouldn't have said that."  
  
Niles smiled again and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry Daphne, this is just temporary," he stated, trying to sound confident. "My lawyers have assured me everything will be fixed in a few weeks ..." He sniffed, testing his nose. In a few weeks. The truth was that his lawyers had said a few more months.  
  
"That's wonderful, Dr. Crane!" Daphne said cheerfully "But remember, all we need to be happy is right in there." She pointed to his heart. "Money comes and goes but feelings remain true."  
  
Niles shook his head in amusement.  
  
"Well, I will call upon my feelings and see if they can pay my bills," he joked, and they both laughed.  
  
"Dr. Crane, you always know the right thing to say," she said, taking his arm. "Would you like to take a walk with Eddie and me?"  
  
Niles grinned.  
  
"I'd love to. It seems this thing won't be taking me anywhere." He slammed the hood of his car shut.  
  
* * *  
  
In a way, my feelings have kept me alive all this time, he thought while walking down the street with Daphne. When I was with Maris, or to be accurate, when I was living in Maris' home, every time I was sad, all I had to do was to think about Daphne. All my uneasiness just vanished as long as she was there with me, if only in my thoughts.  
  
Niles snuck a peek on her as she stopped, waiting for the 'walk' light.  
  
And, he continued thinking when they began walking again, when he needed a warm, caring woman, to talk to somebody, all he had to do was to show up at his brother's apartment. And there she was, Daphne Moon, with her tender nature, ready to listen and help.  
  
He had survived the last six years that way, dreaming about her, trying to picture how their life together might be. Those dreams were always dashed when he remembered what Frasier had said about his love for Daphne. How he thought she was perfect, how he idealized her. He knew that wasn't true. She was real.  
  
This was real.  
  
* * * Daphne, girl, what are you doing?  
  
Nothing. Just trying to cheer up Dr. Crane.  
  
Two days before she had she overheard something. She hadn't wanted to eavesdrop but she couldn't help it. She was in the kitchen when Mr. Crane and Dr. Crane got home. She had been about to greet them when she heard Mr. Crane speaking.  
  
"Poor Niles," the old Crane said, "I've never seen him this depressed. What do you think, Frasier?"  
  
"He'll get over it," Frasier stated, his voice sounding tense. "But to think what that. woman is doing to him!"  
  
"Yeah, I know," Martin agreed, sitting in his armchair. "Here he is, feeling miserable and we can do nothing to help him. "  
  
"He is stronger than we think, Dad," Frasier stated. "I just wish all of this would be resolved."  
  
"It will," Martin said positively. "He will be free from that witch Maris eventually."  
  
"Yeah, I hope so," Frasier was heard. "But for the time being Niles need our support; we have to cheer him up any way we can."  
  
Niles Crane was a good man, she thought. He'd proven that many times over. More than once he'd come to her rescue, being there when she needed a friend. The man really cared for her, and she considered Maris a fool. How could that woman be so blind to the treasure that is Dr. Crane? Daphne was sure that he would be the perfect husband. She didn't know why Maris treated him like that... it was a complete mystery.  
  
Dr. Crane was her best friend and she would pay him back for all the times he'd come to her rescue.  
  
She would cheer him up.  
  
Anyway, she hadn't been looking for him this time, it had just happened, a happy coincidence. So she decided to put her plan in motion.  
  
"So, where were you going, anyway?" she asked as they arrived at the park.  
  
Eddie barked, asking Daphne to release the leash. His furried friends were playing nearby.  
  
Niles shrugged his shoulders. "I had an appointment with my lawyers."  
  
Daphne looked at him with worry.  
  
"Oh, dear, was this a bad idea?" She stopped.  
  
Niles motioned her to continue on.  
  
"Not at all." He smiled warmly. "It was just a 'how things are going' session," Niles explained. "I can call them later. They would have called me had anything been resolved."  
  
Daphne smiled. "And how are things going?" she asked,  
  
"We don't want to ruin this lovely walk." Niles smiled. "For now, Daphne, all I need is to forget about it. A little rest would work miracles on me."  
  
"I understand," she said.  
  
"Please don't think I don't appreciate your concern, Daphne," he stated, stopping her gently by the arm.  
  
"Oh, not to worry," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Perhaps you just don't want to talk about your personal life to your father's physical therapist."  
  
"Nonsense, Daphne," he said sincerely. "That's not how I see you. You have been nothing but a good friend since we met six years ago, and that means a lot to me ..." He sighed. "It's just."  
  
"No, it is just that you have listened to my problems many times and I wanted to return the favor."  
  
Niles looked her in the eye. "My dear Daphne..." he said. "Believe me, this time with you is just what I need." He breathed deeply, smelling the air...and her perfume.  
  
"You mean that?"  
  
"Yes." He smiled warmly. "And I don't want to spoil it by talking about Maris or my money problems, so for the time being, let's just forget about all of it, Ok?"  
  
"Ok..." She accepted that with a smile. "Let's enjoy our walk, then, Dr. Crane."  
  
"But first, I have one special request, Daphne." Niles held up one finger.  
  
She looked at him curiously. "What is it?"  
  
Niles breathed deeply. Maybe he was about to spoil this time with his silly request.  
  
"Would you consider calling me Niles?" He waited for her answer.  
  
"Do you think that would be appropriate?" she asked. "I mean, after all you and Dr. Crane are..."  
  
Niles held up one hand.  
  
"Daphne, I know what you're going to say. I know, technically, Frasier and I are your employers, but," he shrugged his shoulders, "due to my present situation I cannot afford my part of your salary." Daphne listened intently. "So, for the time being, I am not your employer but your friend... and I am not your doctor, just Niles." He waited for her answer. "What do you think?"  
  
She paused.  
  
"All right," Daphne grinned. " But. only when we're alone. All right. Niles?"  
  
The sound of his name spoken by Daphne made him smile.  
  
"Fair enough. Thank you, Daphne," he replied.  
  
They continued walking.  
  
I guess he is right. Maybe all he needs is to disconnect from his problems for a while.  
  
Eddie barked again and pulled his leash, this time, catching Daphne off guard. The dog ran free and hurriedly joined his friends. Daphne and Niles sat on a nearby bench.  
  
"Well, it seems we're not the only ones having fun," she stated.  
  
Eddie rolled over on his back in confirmation.  
  
"It is funny how animals can be happy with just the basic things..." Niles mused, watching the dog in his play. "Like Eddie there..." He leaned back on the bench. "Just give him some food, some water, some four legged friends to play with, and the dog is happy. That's all he needs."  
  
Daphne nodded. "But we humans are different," she said "We need more than that, don't we, Niles?"  
  
Ah, how wonderful his name sounded.  
  
"Yes, but basically, Daphne, we are similar," Niles placed his arm on the back of the bench. "If we have friends, food on our table and someone who cares for us, then we can live happily. We have met our basic needs."  
  
"That's deep..." Daphne smiled. "But there are people who are not happy with what they've got."  
  
"Dogs," Niles continued, "have no worries. They have no concerns, money means nothing to them. They have no lawyers, no pricey divorces..."  
  
"Money moves the world, I'm afraid," Daphne sighed .  
  
"Sadly, yes..." Niles said. "People are judged for what they have and not for who they are."  
  
"That's true." Daphne was impressed by Niles speech. "But I know there are people who still care about the things money can't buy..."  
  
Niles blushed slightly. "Me, perhaps?" he smiled.  
  
"Well, yes." She paused. "You have been my employer for the last six years, but you have never treated me like your father's physical therapist. You have been a friend to me, all of you make me feel I have a family here." Daphne smiled. "My former boss used to remind me every day that he was the one who paid my salary."  
  
"You never told me that before..."  
  
"Yeah, he had no respect for his employees. It was what made me quit." Daphne finished her story, sighing. "I don't know what Mrs. Crane was thinking," she smiled. "If I were your wife I'd be looking for a way to get you back."  
  
"Thank you, Daphne." Niles heart was beginning to beat faster. This was certainly something he never expected to hear.  
  
She placed a hand over his.  
  
"You have nothing to worry about, Niles, you will get through this," she said with conviction. "No matter how much time it takes, eventually, everything will be just fine..."  
  
Niles couldn't resist taking her hand in his.  
  
"I appreciate what you're doing, Daphne, I really do," he said.  
  
I wish you knew how I love you.  
  
She smiled tenderly. "That's what friendship means."  
  
Niles came back to Earth.  
  
Friends...  
  
That's what we are, just friends...  
  
"Would you like to get some coffee with me, my friend?" he asked mock solemnity.  
  
She followed the joke.  
  
"Of course, dear friend, I'd love that..."  
  
***  
  
Niles and Daphne sat at an outside table. Dusk was falling quickly and the wind was blowing softly, and it was a pleasant time to be sitting outside Café Nervosa.  
  
The waiter came out to take their order.  
  
Daphne excused herself to go to the bathroom after the waiter left. Niles used the time to think about what she'd said at the park.  
  
"I don't know what Mrs. Crane was thinking... If I were your wife I'd be looking for a way to get you back."  
  
What had she meant by that?  
  
He was almost sure she was just being supportive. That had to be it; after all, she'd made it clear they were just friends but...Niles thought, what had she said earlier? You are different, you have been my friend all this time. Maybe she knows, deep inside, that I feel something for her...she saw beyond his snooty persona and found the friend.  
  
It was true she cared for him. He remembered the tango, and that time when she helped him with his date with Phyllis and ended up having dinner with him.  
  
His urge to approach her became stronger...  
  
No. maybe it is not a good idea. yet.  
  
She is calling you Niles, now, he said to himself. But, again, maybe she is just being friendly.  
  
His legal situation was not yet resolved but he knew that his lawyers would end up - someday - setting him free from Maris. He would get his life back . He would be Dr. Niles Crane again.  
  
What would Daphne do then? Would she stop being so close? Would her support disappear? He didn't know, and to be honest he didn't want to find out. Not when it all seemed to be going so well...  
  
"Well, look who's here, Martha."  
  
Niles suddenly wished he could vanish into thin air. Norbert and Martha Monroe were standing in front of him, fake smiles on both their faces. Maris' friends, who obviously knew what was going on.  
  
Niles rose to greet them.  
  
"Norbert, Martha, good afternoon."  
  
"Isn't this a lovely surprise, Dr. Crane."  
  
Yeah, like finding a shark in your bathtub. Niles smiled falsely. "It is always nice to see you." I don't care if my damn nose does bleed.  
  
Norbert looked to his wife.  
  
"Quite a surprise, Crane, since you haven't been home for some time now."  
  
Martha added, "One of your neighbors told us you'd left the country for a safari in Africa."  
  
Niles used all of his will to remain calm. He knew how to handle these people.  
  
The waiter brought the coffee.  
  
"Well, yes, you know there are certain things you cannot tell your neighbors," Niles said coldly.  
  
Norbert nodded emphatically. "Certainly, Crane. It is better to avoid total humiliation."  
  
Niles forced a smile.  
  
Martha dug the knife in further. "Absolutely, we were discussing this with Maris just the other day. She is so busy these days dealing with lawyers, she seems to be having a flurry of . business."  
  
"I'm sure," Niles nodded. "She'll have to hire every lawyer in Seattle to fix this one."  
  
Norbert feigned sorrow. "Such a shame she filed for divorce, Crane."  
  
There it was, the 'official version' of the whole matter, directly from Maris' forked tongue.  
  
"Actually, Norbert, I am the one who filed for divorce," He paused. "And I don't care if you want to continue pretending to be her friend. I, however, have quit playing the happy husband for that witch."  
  
"I don't know what are you talking about, Niles," Mrs. Monroe said.  
  
"Oh, yes, you do, and please, stop calling me Niles, or Crane. To you, I am Doctor Niles Crane," Niles said forcefully. He followed them with his eyes as they left in haste. "And stop snooping around my building!"  
  
He then spotted Daphne standing in the doorway. He could tell by her expression that she had heard everything.  
  
"Dr. Crane?..." She sounded reluctant.  
  
"Come out here, Daphne," he called softly. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off when they'd been having such a wonderful time. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
She sat down next to him.  
  
"I have never heard you that angry..." she said.  
  
"I am sorry you had to hear that, Daphne," Niles threw a glance over his shoulder. "But those people wanted to ridicule me by giving me the 'official' version Maris told them..."  
  
Daphne was silent, just looking at him.  
  
"I am sorry..." he said again. "But I wasn't taking that abuse anymore..."  
  
A smile suddenly illuminated her face that took Niles off guard.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Dr. Crane!"  
  
Niles frowned. "What happened to 'Niles'?" he asked.  
  
"That one deserved the title of 'doctor'," she said. "To hear you talk like that..." she chuckled. "Those two were blown away!"  
  
"Thank you, Daphne"  
  
She raised her cup. "Cheers, Niles"  
  
"Cheers!" he said, raising his.  
  
"Those two will respect you from now on," Daphne stated  
  
Niles shrugged his shoulders and looked at her.  
  
"I don't care if they respect me or not," he assured. "All I care about is the people I love, Daphne. Remember what you said? All we need is in here..." and he pointed at her heart.  
  
Daphne's eyes twinkled.  
  
***  
  
Niles stopped at the entrance of the Elliot Bay Towers and looked at Daphne, smiling.  
  
Eddie ran in circles around her feet.  
  
"Did you have a good time?" she asked.  
  
"I certainly did, Daphne," Niles stated, and then added, "we have to do this again."  
  
"Oh, yes," Daphne started to the door but, when she noticed he didn't move, she paused. "Don't you want to come up?"  
  
Niles shook his head. "No, I have to go. I have a dead car to see to, remember?"  
  
Daphne nodded. "Sorry. I'd forgotten."  
  
"I recall one of my neighbors is a mechanic, perhaps he will give me hand with it."  
  
"See you later, then."  
  
"Of course, Daphne" Niles started out of the building. "And, thank you again." And with that, he turned away, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket.  
  
She watched him go and, when he disappeared around the corner she walked into the building.  
  
She was glad she had been able to help Niles.  
  
It was always surprising for her how, after a good chat with him, she had a feeling of ease. It was like the one you get when you miss someone so much, and then one day you bump into him or her casually.  
  
Daphne felt like that every time she talked with Niles.  
  
The man had been there for her every time she needed someone. He never treated her with anything other than respect. Niles Crane treated her like no one else, with a mixture of attention, friendship, and care.  
  
Like. a queen.  
  
It is a shame he has to go through all of this, she thought as the elevator carried her and the dog to the 19th floor. The truth was she'd never liked Maris for Dr. Crane. He was a good man, someday perhaps a perfect father. He deserves something better than Maris.  
  
Someone like you.  
  
That last thought startled her.  
  
What? Me with Doctor Niles Crane? In my dreams, perhaps. I am just a friend, that's all. But yes, she continued thinking, someone like me would be good for him, someone who can see all the good in him. But. someone of his social standing. Not me, Daphne Moon, English therapist.  
  
We are friends, yes, but. we are from different worlds.  
  
By the time she got to apartment 1901 and unlocked the door, a thought was firmly imprinted in her mind.  
  
She would continue supporting him all she could, but she would never aspire to be anything other than a friend to him.  
  
Daphne closed the door and didn't know why, but. that made her feel sad.  
  
***  
  
Weeks passed.  
  
For Niles, it was like struggling up a mountain, ever dodging deadly lose rocks and challenging rifts, using all of his strength to make his way to the top.  
  
One thing became clear.  
  
He had to get a better lawyer.  
  
Then one day at Nervosa Roz mentioned an ex-boyfriend of hers.  
  
Donald Douglas was his name, she said, and he was a piranha. The man, she told him, was a truly skilled lawyer who could nail Maris' legal team and get that divorce in no time.  
  
That prospect brought Niles a ray of hope. His goal seemed so close; once the divorce was final he would be clear to go after his most treasured dream. She who was the only thing that made him endure living at the Shangri La.  
  
The promise of a possible future with Daphne.  
  
He would go talk with the man.  
  
***  
  
The day finally came, and an exuberant Niles Crane was given the best gift ever. One of Maris' attorneys appeared at his door to hand him back his life. Niles regained his car and apartment keys, his cell phone, and all of his credit cards, reactivated. When they were placed in his hands he felt the Shangri La experience melt away.  
  
At last!  
  
The lawyer left and Niles slammed the door with a flourish.  
  
Time to get the hell out of here!  
  
***  
  
He ran out after changing clothes. His brother and father were waiting for him at his apartment. his apartment. to go out to dinner, in celebration for his victory.  
  
Of course, there was something he had to do before the celebration. He had to go thank the man responsible for his release from Maris' prison.  
  
So, with a triumphant smile, he accelerated into the Seattle evening traffic.  
  
He opened the door to Donny's office with that same glorious smile. This man was responsible for his freedom; all he'd had to endure was now in the past. He could move back to the Montana! He parked his car at the entrance of Donny's office building. He was here to say 'thank you' to this wonderful man, whose skills had really bowled over Maris' legal team. And the man...  
  
The man was kissing Daphne.  
  
Niles stopped, frozen at the threshold. All he'd planned to say died, along with his smile. All of his hopes vanished, stolen by what he saw: Daphne, hugging Donny, kissing him. The pain pierced his heart.  
  
Niles' bliss died instantly as the lovers' kiss deepened. All of his plans, finally free to ask her out. All of his hopes for the future suddenly became. nothing.  
  
Niles closed the door slowly, trying to make no noise. The couple kissing in the office never noticed him and continued, indifferent to the rest of the world.  
  
Niles walked out slowly, crestfallen. All his feelings ached to come out, but he held back, forcing them to hide behind his dignity.  
  
He got into his precious black Mercedes and adjusted the leather seat. He started the German V8 engine and drove away from the building back to his apartment, to the world he'd fought so hard to recover.  
  
He'd gotten what he wanted, but the price he had to pay was the highest one there was.  
  
Losing Daphne Moon.  
  
  
  
The End  
  
Credits Scene  
  
The camera pans across the living room of the Montana while zooming in, stopping at the dining room table where Niles is seen having dinner. He wears a vacant expression. The camera continues its movement to the right, revealing lit candles and a bottle of champagne on ice, until it stops on Niles' dinner companion.  
  
A framed photo of Daphne.  
  
Please send us feedback ...we'd love to know what you all think....send feedback to Moxie and Vick 


	2. chapter 2

Vick says: Ah, Decisions. We all know how hard is to make a decision, especially when it will mean the end of our dreams and the beginning of our nightmares. What would Niles do to keep his love from a very happy Daphne? Here, you be the witness to a decision for the sake of love.  
  
Also, I'd like to say that this story wouldn't have been possible without Moxie, whose ideas and additions always improve whatever we plan... You're the best, partner.  
  
Moxie says: Thanks, you too. Hope you all enjoy.  
  
All legal disclaimers apply to this work, Frasier and it's characters belong to Grub Street, this fiction was written solely for entertainment.  
  
  
  
The Long Road: Decisions  
  
  
  
  
  
And so I decided to make her hate me, because it is the only way  
  
I will understand why she doesn't love me.  
  
by Moxie and Vick  
  
  
  
Niles Crane was alone in his office, staring out the window at the rain falling over Seattle. It was the only thing he could hear, the faint sound pelting his office windows.  
  
He wasn't expecting another patient; Clarice had said, before she left almost an hour ago, that he had no more appointments for the day.  
  
Which left him alone with his thoughts.  
  
And he had a lot to think about.  
  
He'd spent the last hour looking out with a vacant expression on his face, trying to pull together the latest events in his life. Even his psychiatric skills didn't much help explain what was happening to him, happening to his life.  
  
Frankly, it was going to hell  
  
The reason was simple, of course. After his disastrous marriage to Maris he was finally free, thanks to a slick lawyer named Donald Douglas. The man had gotten him back his apartment, his car, and his dignity. But the price for this was too much. Oh, not in money. Mr. Douglas had set him free while winning Daphne's heart in the process.  
  
And that left Niles without the one thing he wanted most out of this divorce. Daphne. In his mind he replayed the sight of her kissing this other man. He saw again the radiant smile she had for Donny, that awful day in the lawyer's office.  
  
That was months ago, and he'd tried to learn to live with the reality. He'd made a point of avoiding the couple as their relationship progressed. He tried to get on with his own life, always with the same dismal result. Because no matter how he tried to get her out of his mind, it wasn't to be. His brain was a mass of labyrinths and dungeons that always drew his thoughts back to her.  
  
Daphne. it all was about.her. He was still completely in love with the woman. There was nothing about her he disliked. Her smile, eyes, her perfume....he just couldn't stop dreaming about her.  
  
The final blow had been having to witness Donny propose to her. And watching her accept. The irony was that he'd advised her to, after she'd come to him with her visions. He had told her she had a fear of commitment and told her to take the chance.  
  
She'd jumped right in.  
  
Now, two weeks later, Niles was here, looking out the window, as if the answer to his suffering would appear magically in the Seattle skyline.  
  
Of course, there was nothing he could do. He'd had so many chances to tell her how he felt and had held back one time too many. He was the guilty of cowardice, and his sentence was to see Daphne marry someone else.  
  
Donny was a good man, which made it even harder. The man was his friend; he owed his freedom to the lawyer's cunning in the courtroom.  
  
Niles sighed, his mind in turmoil. How could she have never seen how I care for her?, he asked silently. Why in hell did I lose my heart to a woman who. does not even know I exist? At least, as a man.  
  
Oh, he knew she cared about him. She had always been there for him whenever he needed her. He had memories to prove that. The most painful yet cherished one was that ball. Her passion that night been real enough for him to believe that she was serious. Or was it just his hopes? He would never know. Then there was that time when he'd tried to ask her for a date. She'd been so eager to know who the woman of his dreams was. How would she have reacted if he'd told her that the woman was she? He smiled sadly at the memory of the two of them that night, alone in his apartment having dinner.  
  
He'd said nothing then. He had just loved her quietly, hoping she would somehow see that she was the object of all of his affection. He had tried to make her intuitively understand the enormous love he had for her. Sadly, she never did. Daphne was blind to what his father and brother had noticed immediately.  
  
Frasier had also been a major obstacle to her learning about Niles' feelings. For one reason or another, he'd always stood in Niles' way, trying to talk him out of it, reminding him that he was a snobby psychiatrist who would never win her heart. Daphne would never look twice at a man like him.  
  
Was he right?  
  
There had been that one guy, that Rodney Banks, who could have been Niles' twin. Daphne had dated him.  
  
Maybe Daphne could have fallen in love with a man like him.  
  
But now there was no damned way to know...  
  
He remembered the lovely walk they'd taken together, now seemingly so long ago. He'd been feeling extremely low, in the midst of his Maris-induced poverty. She'd been so sweet to him that day. As always. He'd almost convinced himself that he could win her over.  
  
Until the time he first saw her kissing Donny.  
  
Oh, damn it, stop!  
  
Thunder cracked in the sky. The sound made him turn back to his office. He sat down and leaned back in his chair.  
  
The rain was still falling, and on the street, people and cars kept moving. Life went on. And here he was, still in this. abyss. He had no idea what to do now. He still loved her. She had never noticed and would never know. She unwittingly took his heart with her.  
  
A sad shadow came over his face.  
  
Everyone else knew, he thought bitterly: Frasier, his father, even Roz. Daphne was the only one in the dark.  
  
Damn.  
  
They all came to him with advice, friend, father and brother.  
  
Roz had come up with something profound the last time they'd talked. She'd said, "You just can't explain why you just fall in love, plain and simple." "Yes, Roz, thank you, that proletarian philosophy really helps."  
  
He had to admit Roz was right.  
  
Then there was his father, who's wisdom was far much simpler. "Niles, you just wait, time heals everything."  
  
Then, finally, Frasier, who was really worried about him. The thought touched him. Of course, his brother's approach was of a therapeutic nature, with which Niles was very familiar. It was the approach he used himself.  
  
The annoying thing was that everybody expressed their own opinions about his situation. But none of them cared to ask how he felt, they just told him what they would do in his shoes.  
  
Niles sighed heavily.  
  
He was so deep in his thoughts he never heard the door open.  
  
"Niles?"  
  
Niles jumped and looked around for the source of the voice. Then he saw Daphne standing in the doorway, soaking wet, holding an obviously broken umbrella.  
  
"Daphne?" he asked, getting up to go to her. "Oh, my God, what happened to you?"  
  
"I..." she said. "My car broke down two blocks from here, just shut down in the middle of the street."  
  
Niles took off his jacket and draped it over Daphne. "Oh, heavens, you're drenched!"  
  
"I'm just glad I was able to coax it to the side..." she continued. "I tried to call your father or brother but there was no answer. Then I went to call Donny but remembered he left his cell phone in my car last night."  
  
Niles nervously shifted his weight back and forth.  
  
"I noticed I was near here and took a chance to see if you were in... and look at this bloody bumbershoot!" she exclaimed. "I had to run as quickly as I could."  
  
Niles smiled at her. "I'll get us some coffee," he said, and then grimaced, looking at her drip on the floor. "And. a towel. Make yourself comfortable." He left the room.  
  
She sat down, shivering.  
  
Niles returned a few minutes later with two cups of hot coffee and a hand towel. He handed it and one of the cups to Daphne.  
  
"Thank you, Niles." She smiled at him warmly as she dried her hair and sipped her coffee.  
  
"Oh, don't mention it, Daphne," he said with a toss of his hand. He smiled. She hadn't called him 'Niles' since he'd first asked her to. But then, this was the first time they'd been alone since then.  
  
"So, what are you doing here by yourself?" she asked.  
  
Thinking of you, Daphne.  
  
"Oh, um, I was just.finishing up some paperwork. I was just about to leave when you arrived."  
  
"So I was lucky to catch you."  
  
"Indeed," he said, trying to sound brighter than he felt.  
  
"You look tired, Niles." she said with concern.  
  
I am. I really am.  
  
"Well, these last few weeks haven't gone very well," he admitted.  
  
But I can't tell you why.  
  
"Lots of work?"  
  
"Yes," he lied, praying for his nose not to betray him. Luckily it didn't.  
  
"So that's why you haven't come around lately?"  
  
No, it is because of you, Daphne.  
  
"Yes, I have been busy with a particular patient. The man has a severe case of heartbreak. He is really devastated."  
  
Not entirely untrue.  
  
"Do you have plans for your birthday?"  
  
The abrupt change in topic caught him by surprise.  
  
What was that? She remembered it?  
  
"I..." he stalled. "I guess I will be having dinner with all of you."  
  
"Would you mind if I invited Donny?" she asked.  
  
Niles wanted to say yes, I would, but there was no real reason. After all, as he kept telling himself, Donny was a good man, one she deserved, a man who loved her.  
  
That is me... that man is me... I am the one you deserve.  
  
"Of course you may," he smiled.  
  
"Wonderful, Niles." She finished her coffee. "I'm sure it will be a lovely celebration."  
  
Celebration.yeah, right and to top it all, with Donny...  
  
"I am sure it will, Daphne," Niles smiled wanly.  
  
The sound of rain intensified and Daphne looked briefly to the nearest window.  
  
"This certainly is a terrible storm..."  
  
She looked back at him.  
  
His eyes.  
  
Daphne stopped in the middle of her sentence when she noticed his eyes. Niles was holding the cup near his mouth. His face bore a puzzling expression. His eyes, fixed on hers, had a deep look, one comfortable, warm, inviting.  
  
A vision struck her, but she couldn't describe it. It flashed, and then disappeared.  
  
Without noticing, Daphne became lost in those blue eyes until a clap of thunder sounded. Suddenly the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. The dreary daylight outside was little help.  
  
"Oh, wonderful, a blackout." she said, recovering. The room was silent. "Niles?"  
  
"I'm right here, Daphne." His voice sounded near, but she was still getting used to the darkness so she couldn't see him. He could be very close to her, whispering in her ear.  
  
Is that possible?  
  
The emergency lights kicked in, and Niles was sipping his coffee, still in the same place he had been before the blackout.  
  
"If you've finished your coffee, Daphne, I can take you to home to Frasier's."  
  
*** Those eyes...  
  
Daphne couldn't sleep.  
  
Everytime she tried she saw Niles' eyes looking back at her.  
  
During the last few months she'd noticed a change in his behavior. If anyone else did they said nothing. But she was sure about it. His absence at the apartment was noticeable. He used to be around all the time, he'd come to dinner almost every night and spent a lot of time with his family.  
  
And...with her.  
  
Daphne sat up in bed at that thought.  
  
They had been close friends and spent a lot of time together. When he was in the middle of his divorce he came to her looking for a supportive friend. As a matter of fact, he was always there when she was the one needing a friend, ever since the beginning, six years back.  
  
Then came his divorce.  
  
And that was the turning point.  
  
She thought he would be completely happy then. After all, he recovered everything he had lost, his apartment, his social life, his precious car and his practice. He was free from Maris, but all that didn't seem to help. Now he seemed sad all the time. On the rare occasions he did stop by the apartment he always left abruptly when she entered the room. And he never talked to Donny and her for more than five minutes or so.  
  
Maybe he is.. jealous? She wondered. After all, we have been good friends and now I spend all my time with Donny.  
  
That had to be it.  
  
Daphne lay back down and thought some more.  
  
It was so clear now. She was neglecting her best friends. That must be the reason why even Roz has been acting strangely every time we are all together. The other Dr. Crane and his father shared the apartment with her, so they were not affected.  
  
I have to do something about it.  
  
Tomorrow, she decided, I will ask Roz to get together. And then I will plan something for Niles.  
  
Something like what?  
  
His birthday...  
  
Yes!  
  
A surprise party...that should make him feel better.  
  
Feeling better herself, Daphne fell asleep. Her last thought was that Roz would help her in the preparations.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello Seattle, for the next two hours we will be taking your calls, thank you for tuning us in at KACL 780, this is Dr. Frasier Crane and now, Roz, who do we have on line 1?"  
  
Roz spoke into the microphone.  
  
"On line 1 we have Caroline, she is having problems dealing with moving."  
  
Frasier nodded and punched the button.  
  
"Caroline, go ahead, I'm listening."  
  
While Caroline talked to Frasier, Roz took another call. The man on the line, Matthew, wanted to talk about his nagging wife. Excellent. She placed him on hold and took another call.  
  
"Thank you for calling KACL, you're on the Frasier Crane show, what is your problem?"  
  
"Guess who..." Daphne said .  
  
"Hey, Daph!" Roz said cheerfully. "So you do have some time for your old friend."  
  
"Aw, that hurts, Roz," Daphne replied. "I'm sorry, I have been a little busy for the last few weeks, but now I want to see if my good friend is still there."  
  
"Oh, it's OK," Roz leaned back. "What did you have in mind?"  
  
"How about watching some movies at your place tonight, you know, two girls talking with some pizza. I already stole a bottle of wine from Dr. Crane's wine rack. So far he hasn't missed it." She chuckled.  
  
"Something in particular you want to talk about?" Roz asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, no, can't tell you on the phone." Daphne giggled. "So, you free tonight?"  
  
Roz chuckled. "Sounds like a plan, Daph."  
  
"Wonderful," she sounded satisfied. "I'll pick you up after the show."  
  
"Ok." Roz hung up the precise moment Frasier finished with Caroline.  
  
".Roz, who do we have next?"  
  
"We have Matthew on line 2, he is having problems with his wife."  
  
What does Daphne want to talk to me about?  
  
Maybe it has something to do with Donny, she thought, selecting the tape she needed for a commercial break. Maybe she wants to share details about her relationship, or. ask me to be her bridesmaid.  
  
Yeah, that must be it As always, Roz Doyle was the best of bridesmaids. Never the bride. Anyway, this time was special, Daphne was a good friend and Roz had no problem being her bridesmaid if she was asked.  
  
What a sad event her wedding would be for Niles, Roz thought. She remembered the time at his cottage. He'd tried everything to be with Daphne that weekend and it had all failed. Then after the engagement the youngest of the Crane family just vanished, turning into a shadow that disappeared whenever the radiant Daphne was in the room.  
  
Roz came back from the world of her thoughts when Frasier knocked on the glass between the booths.  
  
"I said...who do we have next, Roz?" he said in irritation. She made the 'off air' signal with her hands. "My producer has just returned from her own little world and has informed me it is time for a station break, we will be back in a few minutes." He punched the button. "What is the matter with you, Roz?"  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking." She put her hand on her forehead as he walked into her booth.  
  
"About?"  
  
"Well," she rubbed her forehead. "Daphne called saying she wanted to speak with me and I was thinking that maybe she wants me to be one of her bridesmaids and, well, you now how it stresses me."  
  
Frasier smiled in amusement.  
  
"I see. Don't worry, Roz." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am sure the dress she'll pick for you will be a lot better than that horrible dress you wore at the last wedding you attended."  
  
Roz laughed.  
  
"I guess you're right, Fras," she admitted. "All these years living with you has to have had an effect on her taste."  
  
"Now you're flattering me." Frasier chuckled. "Well, I hope this little issue is solved and you can return to work."  
  
"Of course." A peek at the clock. "Five seconds."  
  
He hurried back to his booth and pushed the on air button at her signal.  
  
"We're back, Seattle, let's see who is on line 1, go ahead, caller, I am listening"  
  
* * *  
  
"So, Daphne, I'm waiting for that serious chat you talked about on the phone." Roz took a bite of pizza .  
  
On the TV, Nicholas Cage was a police officer who just bought a lottery ticket and was talking to a waitress about a tip. Daphne leaned back, holding a glass of wine.  
  
"Oh, about that..." she said. "I was thinking the other day about how much time I used to spend with you." A pause. "You're one of my best friends, Roz, "  
  
"Thank you, Daph. I like you too."  
  
"I was thinking about Dr. Crane, too," Daphne said. "The way we used to talk all the time. He is a very good friend and always seemed to care about me."  
  
"Yeah," Roz said. You have no idea, Daphne.  
  
"Anyway," Daphne continued. "I saw him yesterday and I realized I was neglecting both of my best friends, so, I wanted to talk to you."  
  
This was a piece of confession Roz wouldn't miss.  
  
"He is still a close friend, then?"  
  
Daphne smiled at the memory.  
  
"Of course, Roz, he has always been there for me. He helps me with my problems and always listens to what I have to say," she explained. Roz poured her some more wine. "But since I've been with Donny he's been so distant and...sad, like."  
  
Roz sipped her wine.  
  
"And you miss him?" she asked.  
  
"I do. How many friends do you find like him?" she asked, sighing. "And, have you noticed the spark in his eyes, Roz?" Daphne looked into space. "They are like big blue windows." She paused. "I looked into his eyes yesterday and... realized."  
  
"Realized what?" Roz leaned forward.  
  
"That I have been spending too much time with Donny."  
  
Roz leaned back, frustrated. The woman was so blind!  
  
"And?" Roz asked. "What have you decided to do about him?"  
  
Daphne smiled, dreamily.  
  
"His birthday is in a week and I want to prepare a surprise party for him," she said excitedly. "To cheer him up. I could use your help."  
  
"Birthday party?" She was puzzled. Would that be a good idea? After all that had happened, wouldn't a surprise party for Niles, organized by Daphne, be just what he just needed to bring him to the brink of suicide? "Are you sure you want to do this, Daphne?" she asked, and immediately remembered Daphne didn't know a thing.  
  
Daphne looked confused. "Of course I do," Daphne said. "Roz, is there something I should know?"  
  
"No, no, of course not," Roz said quickly. "I will be glad to help you, Daphne."  
  
"Thank you," Daphne smiled, relieved. "I thought you'd say no. I know how you two get."  
  
Me too, Roz thought. As Daphne began her plans for the party, Roz made mental note that the next day she would pay a visit to her old friend Niles.  
  
* * *  
  
Luckily, she found him at Nervosa. He was pretending to be reading the newspaper but his eyes betrayed him. They were fixed on a spot in the air. The waiter was placing his coffee on the table but Niles appeared not to notice.  
  
When Roz sat across the table from him. Niles put the newspaper down, folding the sports section he had been 'reading' .  
  
"I would like a latte, please," Roz said to the waiter, and when he was gone, "Hello, fly boy."  
  
"Hello, Roz." Niles greeted her. "What brings you here?"  
  
Roz faked surprise.  
  
"Well, when I saw you in here I had to know what could you be doing in this place we both come to every day."  
  
Niles grinned. "OK, silly question."  
  
"Hey, reading the sports, huh? I didn't know you liked baseball." She turned the newspaper over. "Man, I lost 50 bucks in this game...damn Mariners!"  
  
Niles was looking her, wondering what she was doing here with him. Was it just a coincidence? Hardly. Niles was at Nervosa at the same hour every day. So if someone like Roz wanted to find him they'd know where to look.  
  
And there she was, Roz Doyle, every man's sure thing, smiling at him. Maybe she wanted to ask about Daphne or how he was feeling. It was for the best if she didn't, he'd talk about anything but that.  
  
"Roz..." he said, warningly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about Daphne, or Donny or how am I feeling about her engagement, ok?"  
  
Roz made a face. "My dear, if there is anyone who needs to talk about them it's you."  
  
Niles shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I'd rather not," he replied. "But you seem intent on forcing the issue."  
  
Roz accepted the coffee the waiter was handing her. "Just forget it, Niles. Changing the subject. Let's talk about your birthday."  
  
"My birthday? Who told you about that?" he asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Oh, don't play games with me, Roz." Niles said in irritation. "Who told you about my birthday? I don't recall saying anything about it."  
  
Roz smiled.  
  
"Ok, Daphne did," she said, trying to catch his expression.  
  
"Daphne." he said quietly. "You see, Roz?" Niles sighed deeply. "Everything is about her. No matter how much I try to stop thinking about her everyone keeps bringing her up."  
  
"She told me that you'd be at Frasier's that day, that's all," Roz assured.  
  
"You know what, Roz?" Niles said, firmly. "Daphne is starting to annoy me."  
  
Roz frowned. "That can't be."  
  
"Yes it can!"  
  
"You love her, you wimp!" Roz almost shouted.  
  
"You see? There she is again!" Niles leaped from his chair and headed to the door. "I have to go now, Roz, but listen to me. I'd prefer for her to hate me...and to hate her!"  
  
Roz watched him leave, trying to run from his pain. Of course, he would never escape Daphne, not as long as she wanted to remain his friend. She would be around, smiling at him, calling him her best friend. Ever blind to it all. Suddenly Roz felt a bit jealous. Never, in all her adult life, had a man loved her that way.  
  
Not like that.  
  
"Wasn't that Niles?" A voice brought her back to reality.  
  
"Hey, Frasier. Yeah, that was your brother." Roz smiled at her boss. "It's good to see you here. I have something to talk to you about."  
  
"And that is?..." Frasier sat across from her.  
  
"OK, here's the deal. Daphne is planning to throw a surprise birthday party for Niles." By the expression on Frasier's face she knew what he would say.  
  
"Oh, dear. I don't know if that's a good idea, Roz. He has been so hurt lately. A party like that would only make it all worse."  
  
"I know. I'm telling you this because I didn't know how to tell Daphne that it's a bad idea," Roz explained. "She thinks Niles is upset with her because she has been neglecting him, spending so much time with Donny."  
  
"Oh, Lord."  
  
"Remember how she wanted to talk to me yesterday?" Roz continued. "She wanted to apologize to me for the same reason..." She thought for a moment. "She can't see what she is doing to Niles, Frasier, and I can't tell her..."  
  
Frasier took Roz's hand. "We have to find a way to talk her out of this, Roz," Frasier said. "You have to help me."  
  
"But how?" Roz sipped her coffee. "She is really excited about this."  
  
Frasier looked at her solemnly.  
  
"Think about Niles, Roz. You didn't see him when it happened. He was devastated, sitting there while Donny proposed to Daphne."  
  
Roz nodded thoughtfully. "He told me," she said.  
  
"Then you must help me stop her," Frasier urged.  
  
"Ok, I will, just tell me what to do," Roz agreed .  
  
* * *  
  
Love Hate Love-hate Hate-love  
  
Niles slowed his Mercedes in front of Donny's apartment building. He didn't know why he was there, but he was, parking his car in an empty slot, getting out, looking up to see if there was light in his apartment...  
  
There was.  
  
What the hell are you doing, Niles? He asked out loud, folding his arms.  
  
I am here to ask him to keep Daphne away from me.  
  
I will ask him to tell Daphne that she is not welcome at my place or in my life. It will be awkward, stupid even, but that's what I have to do. I will tell him how much it hurts me to see her with him and that it is for his best interest, and hers, to keep her away from me.  
  
  
  
Donny was working on his computer when the doorbell rang. He left his spreadsheets for later and closed the program to answer the door.  
  
"Hey, honey."  
  
Daphne walked in carrying several grocery bags.  
  
"Hi." She dropped them on a nearby table and kissed her fiancé. "Sorry to be so early."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Donny smiled. "You could never be too early. I was trying to find an excuse to get away from that worksheet I was struggling with."  
  
Daphne chuckled  
  
"Well, glad to be of service." She hugged him. "I am about to prepare an exquisite dinner for us." She walked toward the kitchen, rounding the corner when the doorbell rang again.  
  
Donny , who was still by the door, opened it.  
  
"Hey, tiger," he said, surprised. He had never told Niles where he lived; to see him standing at his door was the last thing he'd expected. "Please, come in."  
  
"Hello, Donny," Niles said quietly. "I won't stay long, I just need to talk to you for a moment."  
  
Donny noticed the look in his eyes and began to worry. Niles looked quite agitated.  
  
"What about?" he asked.  
  
"It's about. Daphne."  
  
"Daphne?" he snuck a peek toward the kitchen. She was still in there. He stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him. "What about Daphne?"  
  
Niles breathed deeply to muster the courage to begin. After what he had to say everything would be different. Daphne would disappear from his life. It was not something he wanted, but it had to be. He couldn't risk interfering in her life, and in his misery that could very well happen. He would do anything for her happiness.  
  
Niles would give his life for her if he had to.  
  
Now he was about to do something that was comparable with death; he was about to tell her fiancé the words that he'd wanted to tell her. He was about to pour his heart out to Donald Douglas .  
  
Niles needed her out of his life because he knew that, sooner or later, he would end up telling her. He didn't know when, or how, but he knew that someday he'd tell her. He would be trapped, one day, in the enchantment of her eyes, in her smile, and his heart would betray him. And he would spoil a perfect friendship by saying something stupid like 'I love you'. Then, he was sure Daphne would feel hurt, even betrayed...  
  
Betrayed by a friend who told her something like that when she was engaged.  
  
Or worse, married.  
  
He knew Donny would keep her away from him, and that he would not tell her a thing. He'd keep the secret. It had to be done.  
  
For her own good.  
  
"So," Donny asked, puzzled. "What about her?"  
  
"I..." Niles began but, at that moment they heard her voice coming from inside the apartment. " I can't do this, Donny, I have to go..."  
  
"Hey, wait a minute, pal ..." Donny tried to reach him but Daphne opened the door just as Niles slipped away.  
  
"Donny?" she asked excitedly. "I thought I heard Dr. Crane's voice..."  
  
Donny watched the elevator doors close.  
  
"What? Oh, no, no," he said awkwardly. "That was a neighbor who wanted to. set an appointment for tomorrow, that's all." He motioned Daphne in and closed the door. "What did you want, honey?"  
  
"Want. Oh, yes, I can't find the butter."  
  
A thousand thoughts were racing in Donny's head. But for now he had to shut them off or Daphne would ask questions. This was not the time, not until he found out what Niles wanted to tell him about his fiancé.  
  
"Donny?" she called. "Are you feeling all right?" she continued as she walked back to the kitchen.  
  
"Yes, fine." He smiled at her the best he could, but he wasn't all right. Something was going on. He needed to know...at all cost. "Butter, top shelf to the right."  
  
Daphne found the butter. She never saw Niles getting into his car in front of the building.  
  
* * *  
  
Donny couldn't concentrate during dinner. Niles' words and the way he'd looked were stuck in his mind; he was just couldn't get rid of the image. Niles, showing up at his door, telling him that he wanted to talk about Daphne. Baffling. There had been something in his expression.  
  
He had to find out what was on Niles' mind.  
  
"Donny, " Daphne said, clearing the table. "You have been so quiet."  
  
"Have I?" He smiled, trying to cover. "I was just savoring the dinner my lovely fiancé prepared for me."  
  
"Oh, go on," Daphne replied, smiling.  
  
"Um, Daphne..." he asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Have you seen Niles lately?" He tried to sound casual. "Because I haven't seen him in a while."  
  
"Now that you ask, yes," Daphne admitted. Donny was nervous. Something odd was going on here. But her voice suggested that she didn't know a thing. Or could she be covering? "I saw him the other day, when my car broke down."  
  
"Really?" Donny forced a smile. "You didn't mention it."  
  
"I meant to," Daphne said. Donny held his breath. "You know that he and I have been friends for years."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"He's been the only person I could go to and talk about anything. All these years, every problem I've faced has been solved with Dr. Crane's help." She paused. "Even my fear of commitment."  
  
"Fear of...?" Donny was now more curious than ever.  
  
"Yes," Daphne's eyes began drifting into space. "You remember my visions?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "I had one, just before you proposed to me. I was about to say 'no' but he explained everything. He made me see that it was fear of commitment."  
  
"Visions?" Donny had always thought of Daphne's visions as something amusing. But having one involving her decision to marry him...he needed to know more. "What visions?"  
  
Daphne laughed, still looking at the air.  
  
"I thought I saw the true love of my life, the one I was meant to be with.can you believe it?" She was amused by the memory. "The man had a strange dragon in his hands... but I couldn't see his face."  
  
"And what did Niles tell you to explain that?" Donny continued casually, though beginning to feel anxious .  
  
"He told me that the vision was really my fear of commitment." Daphne looked past him. "So when you proposed I said 'yes'. And here we are...I have never been so glad to have such a true friend."  
  
Donny smiled. "Well, I guess we have him to thank for it all, then."  
  
"Oh, yes...." Daphne seemed very comfortable talking about it. The lawyer in him wondered if she was comfortable talking about the situation, or just talking about Niles.  
  
"Too bad we haven't had the time to thank him for that." He was setting a trap and, Daphne, innocently, fell for it.  
  
"That's why I am throwing a surprise party for him," she said cheerfully. Donny almost choked. "You know, his birthday is next week. What do you think?"  
  
"Surprise party?" Donny squeaked, attempting to look cheerful and to control himself.  
  
"Yes, and Roz said she will help."  
  
"But why are you organizing a party for Niles?"  
  
"Haven't you been listening?" She sounded irritated. "He is my friend, and I really want him to know that, no matter how much time you and I spend together. He is still my best friend." She was serious, so much that Donny felt even more worried. Something was going on; the way she talked about him held a strange intensity he was unable to classify. It sounded like more than a friendship.he was truly uneasy about it... "So, will you help?"  
  
"Of course I will, honey."  
  
Daphne just stared at him.  
  
Donny frowned. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, nothing, I was just ...looking at your eyes..."  
  
When she left to wash the dishes Donny breathed deeply. He needed to remain calm.  
  
Roz...  
  
He needed to talk to Roz; she would know something. But this time, he wouldn't be talking to her as his friend. Donald Douglas, Attorney at Law, would be there.  
  
After that he would talk to Niles, keeping news of that meeting from Daphne. He would pretend to be helping with the party, and when he had something concrete he would deal with it then.  
  
* * * What have I done?  
  
Oh, God.  
  
Niles was driving as fast as he legally could, trying to escape what had happed back there.  
  
He needed Donny to know what he felt for Daphne ...but not while she was there! He couldn't let her find out...he just wanted her to go away... but this was worse!  
  
He knew he had planted a seed of doubt in Donny's mind... by what he said, oh Lord, he'd said... I want to talk about Daphne.and that one line left everything to the imagination.  
  
Everything.  
  
Showing up like that, having found the address on the internet and saying that.oh, God, that must have done a number on Donny's mind. By this time Daphne surely knew I was there and Donny would start asking her what I was talking about...and of course, she does not know anything...  
  
What if she comes to me and asks?... Niles accelerated even more, passing a yellow traffic light like a whisper.  
  
I would have to tell her...oh God, I couldn't lie to her, I would have to tell her...  
  
What have I done?!  
  
The Mercedes was like a black missile, dodging the other cars and passing red lights with a frantic Niles at the wheel. He knew he would have to face whatever happened. But for now he just needed to run.  
  
* * *  
  
Frasier was driving Roz home when his cell phone rang.  
  
He activated the speakerphone. "Hello? "  
  
There was silence on the line.  
  
"Hello?" Frasier repeated and was about to hang up when Niles spoke.  
  
"It's me, Frasier." His voice sounded tired and weak.  
  
"Niles? What's happened, you sound peculiar."  
  
"I am. in jail," Niles stated. "Could you please come pick me up...I am sorry, but you'll have to post bail."  
  
Frasier's jaw dropped.  
  
"What happened to you, Niles?" Roz asked.  
  
"Oh, no, not Roz," Niles whined. He hadn't want anyone to find out, but suddenly it didn't seem to matter. "I... was speeding and didn't stop when a police car pulled up behind me."  
  
Now Roz' jaw dropped. The idea of Niles driving at more than 40 miles per hour was absurd.  
  
"Where are you, Niles?"  
  
"I am at Dad's old precinct."  
  
"Well, I know where that is," Frasier shot, turning right. "We will be there in a minute, Niles." Frasier smiled. "I almost said 'stay put' but I guess that is not necessary."  
  
And with that, hung up, giving Niles no time to answer.  
  
  
  
Niles was holding the bars like he was trying to break them. His face screamed that he didn't want to be there. All his companions in the packed cell were drunks, men with no notion of what a bath meant, and some others with the clear intention of. seducing him.  
  
Eww. Help.  
  
"Niles?" Frasier said, appearing at the door in the company of a police officer.  
  
"Get me out of here, Frasier!" he begged.  
  
"Not until you tell me what's going on." Frasier folded his arms.  
  
Niles sighed in defeat. Only Daphne could cause him to do something like take on a crowded street at 80 miles per hour.  
  
"Frasier..." He leaned into the bars and almost whispered. "I couldn't stand it anymore. You have been witness to my six years of loving Daphne from afar...so I went to Donny's with the sole purpose of letting him know how I feel. Because. if I continued seeing her I would surely tell her, I would blurt it all out." He tool a breath. "I hoped to get him to react like the jealous boyfriend. I hoped he would keep her away from me without telling her the real reason. If I was right, my secret would be safe and she would disappear forever...it was the only way to solve this."  
  
Frasier was dumbfounded. "You went to talk to Donny about your feelings for Daphne?"  
  
"Yes," Niles stated. "But I couldn't do it. There I was, at his door...I told him that I needed to talk about Daphne, but she was there and, oh, Lord, he knew, Frasier, I am sure he knew what I was about to say but...but..." Niles covered his face with one hand.  
  
"Did he say anything?" Frasier asked in agitation.  
  
"No..." Niles shook his head behind his hand. "Since Daphne was in the apartment I left as fast as I could...I didn't want her to know I was there..."  
  
Suddenly Frasier noticed the attention they were attracting of the other arrestees, even the drunk who'd been asleep a moment before.  
  
"Do you mind?" Frasier growled.  
  
They grumbled and turned away.  
  
"The worst part is that I know I left him with doubt..." Niles began gasping for air. "He must be telling her right now, and she will come to me and ....and I won't be able to lie to her...I will tell her how much I love her..."  
  
Niles sighed, dejected, then widened his eyes.  
  
"Frasier... where is Roz?"  
  
"She's paying the bail," Frasier pointed at the door. "She'll be here in a minute."  
  
"Please, Frasier, don't tell her anything," Niles pleaded "This is as embarrassing as it gets!"  
  
"Ok," Frasier agreed. "But you have to clear all this up, Niles."  
  
"Yeah, and quick," one of the prisoners added.  
  
Niles rolled his eyes.  
  
"Get me out of here..."  
  
* * *  
  
After dropping Niles at the Montana, a silent Frasier and Roz were lost in their own thoughts. Niles situation was indeed dismal. If Donny asked Daphne what was happening then she would try and talk to Niles. It was clear that he wanted to avoid that. He loved her and wanted her to be happy with Donny. He though that if she stopped visiting him she could avoid finding out his feelings... but, if she asked, he was right, he couldn't lie, not to a direct question, Frasier was sure.  
  
But, what would really happen if she found out? Roz wondered. Maybe she. loved Niles too. That was something she had suspected for some time now. The way Daphne talked about him, the way she liked to chat with him whenever he was in the room. How she always came to him for help, how she'd leaped in to help when he was living at the Shangri La. It was a common assumption that Niles endured all that time there just because she was with him. Everybody but Daphne knew that all Niles needed was her...  
  
"Roz..."  
  
"Frasier?..."  
  
"We have to do something."  
  
"Like what?" Roz asked. "Daphne is supposed to pick me up tomorrow to start with the preparations..."  
  
Frasier nodded. "Roz, I know Daphne's motivation is nothing but good, but we have to talk her out of it."  
  
"I know," Roz sighed. "But it won't be easy. You know her, she will throw that party even if she has to do it herself... maybe if we talk with Donny.?"  
  
"Absolutely not," Frasier interjected abruptly. "We have to keep Donny out of whatever we do ..he could tell Daphne."  
  
"You're right," Roz conceded. "Then what do you suggest?"  
  
Frasier paused, maybe pondering what to say next.  
  
"In the Netherlands, I can't remember the year," he began, "a group of irate workers decided to go on strike by disabling the machines they were working with by throwing their shoes into them. Their footwear was called sabots, which is the root of the word..." he gestured in her direction.  
  
"Sabotage?" Roz' face lit up. "Brilliant...we won't talk her out of it, we will simply sabotage whatever she has planned!"  
  
Frasier smiled. "You have the idea, Roz," he said, and squeezed her shoulder. "Tomorrow I will tell Dad about all of this, he will help us out. And you, Roz, must find out what, if anything, Donny told Daphne..."  
  
* * *  
  
Niles had never felt this awful in his entire life.  
  
He was at the Montana, seated by the door, half expecting Daphne to come any minute to ask him what he talked to Donny about. He could almost hear her voice.  
  
He didn't want to face that, not when it would mean the end of their friendship, but. on the other hand, wasn't that what he was looking for? Wasn't that the way it had to be? Sadly, yes. He had to put Daphne out of his life. For good.  
  
Was it in his hands now? The seed of doubt in a person's mind is something hard to forget. Imagine it now, that doubt in a lawyer like Donny . phew! Niles was completely sure that, by this time, he had asked Daphne if she had a clue as to why he'd shown up out of the blue like that.  
  
Of course, Daphne didn't know anything. But Donny might start investigating, searching for the reason. Anyway, Niles was sure Frasier wouldn't say anything, and it was the same for Roz and Martin. So, Donny would end up...asking him and. that was Ok. Ok, of course, if he showed up alone.  
  
And he will.  
  
Niles paused on onhis way to the kitchen. That last thought seemed logical. If nobody knew anything then Donny would end up coming to him, the source of the mystery.  
  
So, maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps he still had a chance to keep his feelings a secret and stay away from her.  
  
Niles nodded in silence, poured some coffee, and retreated to his room to plan his next move.  
  
***  
  
"So, Daphne, how was your day?"  
  
Frasier was reading a book when Daphne got home. It was late for him to be there, but Daphne, lost in thoughts of preparing the party for her best friend, missed that. She answered as she hung up her coat.  
  
"Fine, Dr. Crane. I had dinner at Donny's."  
  
Frasier put the book on the table. A trap was about to be set.  
  
"Roz told me you had something..special planned for my brother."  
  
Daphne spun around on the landing.  
  
"Roz told you. about the surprise party?"  
  
"Yes, she asked me for help," he said "Is that alright?"  
  
Daphne smiled.  
  
"That would be wonderful!" she stated. "But you must be sworn to secrecy, we don't want Dr. Crane to know anything about this." She put her index finger to her lips.  
  
"My lips are sealed," Frasier smiled "But I must participate in the preparations." He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Remember, I know exactly what foods Niles likes."  
  
Daphne nodded. "You're right," she admitted. "You could be of help on that, but I will select the wine, I know what his favorite is..."  
  
"Thank you," Frasier said and then placed his fingertips on his forehead. "I was thinking... maybe Donny could be of help too, why don't we tell him about it?"  
  
"Oh, I did," Daphne nodded emphatically. "He said we can count on him."  
  
I'll bet, Frasier thought. "That's terrific," he said. "But I suppose he wasn't thrilled when he heard about it."  
  
Daphne frowned and dismissed that with a toss of her hand.  
  
"Well, he did ask me why I wanted to throw a party for Dr. Crane, so I reminded him what a wonderful friend he has been," she explained, intertwining her hands. "I told him about my visions and how your brother explained to me what they meant... he wasn't thrilled, no." She smiled. "But in the end he had to admit we owe a lot to Dr. Crane."  
  
Frasier sighed.  
  
"I see. Well, then, Daphne I suppose we can say, beforehand, that this party will be a big success."  
  
"I hope so," she said. "I would really love for him to enjoy it."  
  
Frasier nodded in agreement but felt a little sheepish. After all, he knew that the party would never happen, and that the only surprise Niles would receive would be a nice bottle of wine from Daphne delivered by Frasier and Roz.  
  
But, even though Frasier didn't want to face it, Daphne would end up disappointed and it would be their fault. But it was for her own good.  
  
Wasn't it?  
  
He was completely sure, despite the affection she had for Niles, Daphne needed to stay a distance from his brother or she would end up discovering the secret. If she found out, she might start questioning all of Niles' past motivations, and would end up jumping to the wrong conclusions. Like that all he'd ever wanted was to get her into bed.  
  
The distant memory of Daphne almost spending the night in Niles' apartment would support that notion.  
  
Anyway, what was in Daphne's mind? Of course, there was no way to know; all he had was a mere extrapolation, a hypothesis, supported by her present relationship with Donny. But, on other hand, his trained psychiatrist's mind chimed in, the need for her to let Niles know how much their friendship meant to her by throwing him a party could be a way to. get closer to him. Roz had said she wanted to cheer him up, but. there could be more to it than that.  
  
This made sense, in a way. Maybe, just possibly, all those two had shared when Niles was living at the Shangri La had caused her to develop feelings for him as well... different from friendship. Unconsciously, Frasier avoided the word 'love'. And perhaps, when she witnessed his release from Maris back to his normal life, the difference in social rank steered her into a relationship with Donny, as a way to climb to an even status. Again, to be closer to Niles.  
  
That made sense.  
  
Yeah, but it was all a hypothesis.  
  
And to make things worse, he knew Daphne would never expose herself to a talk about what she thought or felt about him. She seemed to have a fear of talking to Frasier. She seemed to see him as the Doctor - and her employer - Frasier Crane.  
  
And, Frasier had noticed that Daphne, even while also addressing Niles as 'Dr.', well, her voice had a different inflection. It was the same word, but less formal, more familiar.  
  
He might have to use Dad to call her on that one..  
  
Frasier snapped back to reality when he noticed a pair of brown eyes fixed on his.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Daphne?"  
  
She shook her head. And walked three steps closer to her boss.  
  
"Nothing, Dr. Crane, I was just looking at your eyes."  
  
"My eyes?" Frasier tried to figure this one out. "And?"  
  
"They are not at all like your brothers'," she stated, and left the room before Frasier could ask what she was talking about.  
  
* * *  
  
Daphne closed the door to her room.  
  
With Dr. Crane's aid everything would be easier.  
  
All she needed to do now was make a checklist  
  
She took a bath first, having selected a radio station with soft music. Then she found some stationery and a pen on her bedside table and sat on her bed with her back against the pillow. The food was Dr. Crane's department, so that took a load off her mind. Now, what more did she need?  
  
She had four days to put everything in order, and that seemed feasible. Now, she thought, the perfect spot for the party would be here in the apartment.  
  
Or.  
  
Maybe here it wouldn't be surprise, though, so. what about the Montana? That sounded much better indeed. All she had to do was to ask for the spare key for the apartment. She was sure Niles wouldn't object to that.  
  
She wrote that on the list she was preparing.  
  
She could ask Donny to take him for a drink while they prepared everything and then, voila! Surprise party in his apartment.  
  
Good plan!  
  
Ok, Daphne thought, adding some more notes. She needed a cake, Niles' favorite, of course, chocolate, with candles and everything She needed paper hats and a sign with 'Happy Birthday Dr. Crane' written on it, balloons and, for the toast, an excellent champagne.  
  
An hour later she went to bed with a smile on her face, and dreamt of a very happy Niles looking at her, with his beautiful, twinkling blue eyes.  
  
* * *  
  
Donny had never endured a more terrible night. He spent it tossing in his bed, trying to make sense of this new view of his fiancé.  
  
Could it be possible that she was in love with Niles Crane?  
  
Damn!  
  
The doubt was consuming.  
  
Niles, showing up at his door, saying he had to talk about Daphne had started it all. What made him feel worse was that, now, he began to realize there was something about Daphne's way of speaking when Niles was the subject. He detected some sort of tenderness and caring he had never witnessed in her.  
  
Not even when she was talking about him.  
  
Six years of friendship. That was her reason for speaking like that. Niles was a wonderful friend, always there for her. A gentleman, never taking advantage of her vulnerability but... dancing the tango and creating the impression to everyone there that they were madly in love. Donny had heard the story more than once. Even after it had been evidence in the divorce proceedings, it was one Daphne seemed to enjoy retelling.  
  
What was her explanation?  
  
She said they were acting, to put a show on for his snobby friends... but.  
  
Donny gave up and sat up in bed. The clock on the bedside table showed it was half past 3 in the morning.  
  
Why had she gone to Niles when she had that vision? Why not Frasier? He was a psychiatrist, too. The reason, of course, was that Niles was her best friend on the earth, and he, and only he, was able to solve her problems...  
  
Another memory kicked in, or to be accurate, assaulted him. His secretary, Maria, had told him that, before the trial, Niles had asked to talk to him while he was with Daphne in his office. But he never did, not after they found out about the urinal cakes. Did any of this mean anything?  
  
Oh, no.  
  
Donny felt, suddenly, that he was sitting on a waterbed filled with nitroglycerine.  
  
Niles never mentioned that, or why he left Nervosa whenever he saw them together...and, if I mix that with him trying to talk about Daphne, we have...Niles Crane is in love with Daphne...of course....  
  
But the most important question is... could she be in love with him?  
  
Donny had no real reason to believe that, of course. Daphne was the perfect fiancé, caring, warm, funny. But, in light of what he'd just concluded, all of her decisions, including the one to be his wife, seemed to be in Niles' hands. What if Niles had told her not to marry him? Would she have broken up with him? Let's suppose he was right and Daphne would have left him, following Niles' advice.  
  
Would she accept if Niles proposed?  
  
Donny was becoming upset and more confused. He loved Daphne and was determined to protect her from every possible hurt, but... should he hang onto a woman who does not truly love him? Should he keep Daphne from being with the one she loved the most?  
  
Would he let her settle for him just because Niles never had the nerve to talk to her?  
  
He had no answer to that.  
  
***  
  
Roz was waiting for Daphne at Nervosa when Donny found her. It was not a lucky shot; Daphne had told him the two women were meeting there.  
  
"Hey, Roz..." he said, cheerfully.  
  
"Donny, what a surprise," she said.  
  
"Oh, my caffeine level is low and you need all the help you can get in court," he joked, sitting and trying to catch the waiter's eye.  
  
"Well, Daphne will be here any minute. We are going shopping."  
  
Donny nodded. "I know, for the party?"  
  
Roz tried to measure the man's intentions. Frasier had told her it was possible that Donny would try to use her to find out more. Of course, she was right.  
  
"Yeah, it will be a nice surprise for him, don't you think?" Roz asked.  
  
"Niles will go crazy, after all, his friends are preparing it for him."  
  
Very clever. But two can play the same game.  
  
"I know," she stated brightly, "and, of course, we don't want anyone to spoil the surprise."  
  
"My lips are sealed." Donny finally attracted the waiter's attention. "Espresso, double, please."  
  
"Great," Roz said. "He will have the time of his life."  
  
"I bet he will." The lawyer leaned back to make room for the waiter who brought his coffee. "After all, Daphne is his best friend, is she not?"  
  
Ah, there it is...  
  
"Yes, Niles has been a wonderful friend to Daphne, just like the rest of us," Roz stated. She was positive about two things: one, Donny was trying to find out what Niles felt for Daphne and second, that she wouldn't betray her wimpy friend. "We are all sort of her family here."  
  
Donny was hard to beat.  
  
"And a very nice family," he said, his eyes fixed on hers. "You have been good to her for six years now."  
  
"So, what will you do to help?" Roz dodged the threat. Donny followed.  
  
"Dunno," he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"You should've asked her last night when she was at your place..."  
  
Donny raised an eyebrow, just for a fraction of a second.  
  
"Who told you Daphne was at my apartment last night?"  
  
Roz had expected that question. It was clear now what he was up to.  
  
"Oh, I just assumed." she lied.  
  
Donny sighed. "Anyway," he said, trying to steer the conversation away from that issue. It was obvious Roz wouldn't say a thing. Maybe she knew what was going on with Niles. Maybe she was part of it. He didn't want to miss any possible clue. "I will ask her today."  
  
"Good," Roz sighed, relieved. "Oh, there she is." She waved to catch Daphne's eye. "Over here, Daph!"  
  
Daphne smiled at them and approached the table.  
  
"Hey, Roz, Oh, hello, Donny," she kissed him on the cheek. "So, what are you doing here?"  
  
He needed an excuse, as she knew he was supposed to be in court.  
  
Roz saved him.  
  
"He saw me and stayed to ask what he should do for the party."  
  
"Oh, you're so sweet." Daphne caressed his shoulder.  
  
"Isn't he?" Roz exchanged a knowing look with Donny. He acknowledged the good opponent she was with a nod.  
  
Daphne, out of this loop, sat next to him and placed a sheet of paper on the table.  
  
"Well, Dr. Crane will take charge of the dinner, he offered last night. Roz and I will take charge the rest, we want everything to be perfect!" She smiled at them.  
  
"So, what am I to do, honey?"  
  
She looked at him for a moment. "Do you think you can keep Dr. Crane out of his brother's apartment while we make our plans?"  
  
Donny felt like a marathon athlete in second place who sees the opportunity to win when the first runner trips and falls. The look in Roz's eyes said she knew that.  
  
"Of course, sweet," he shot quickly. What a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on him and maybe to finally find out what was going on.  
  
"And," Daphne continued "You can keep him out of his own apartment on his birthday while we make the final preparations. Take him for a drink or something."  
  
Sabotage...sabotage!!!... Roz was freaking out, she had to think of something.  
  
"I think Donny will do that wonderfully," she said, trying to recover. "But wouldn't Niles suspect something if he does not see us for three days and Donny is with him all the time?"  
  
The lawyer shook his head emphatically, but Daphne agreed with Roz.  
  
"Yes, that is a good point, Roz," she said.  
  
"But, but..." Donny stuttered. "You two have to prepare everything!"  
  
"Oh, that won't be a problem, or..." Daphne looked at him with mock anger, "do you want to spend more time with Dr. Crane than with me?"  
  
Roz arched an eyebrow.  
  
"No, of course not." Donny had to give up.  
  
"Well, then," Daphne got up. "Do you have time to occupy him now? I thought you had to be in court."  
  
"Er..." Donny rubbed his forehead, there was no escape now. "I... I can cancel my appointments," he offered.  
  
"Thats so sweet of you, no, you go on, I will see to Niles." Roz dismissed them, waving.  
  
Daphne dragged Donny out of the café and Roz sighed in relief. So far, Daphne knew nothing about Niles' little visit to Donny's home and it was obvious Donny was looking for the opportunity to keep an eye on the competition.  
  
Of course, he was participating in the party plans just to find out what was going on, but seemed not to want Daphne to know about it. She might have to ambush Donny again sometime.  
  
Her cell phone began ringing in her purse. She pulled it out and was relieved to see Frasier's phone number on the screen.  
  
"How is our plan going?" he asked  
  
"Donny didn't tell Daphne a thing," she informed and heard his boss sigh. "But when Daphne asked him to keep Niles away he got excited by the idea."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I changed places with him. I said I'd keep Niles busy."  
  
"Oh, Lord, this is getting weird," Frasier exclaimed. "But.. maybe it is for the best, I am sure Donny won't tell her anything."  
  
"Let's hope," Roz said. "So ...how are things going ?"  
  
"Oh," he chuckled "Well, Chez Henri agreed to deliver a delectable dinner on September 15th. "  
  
"Wait a minute, that's Niles' birthday!!" Roz said, dumbfounded. "What kind of sabotage is that?!"  
  
"Oh, give me some credit, Roz," Frasier said "Yes, it is his birthday. and it will be again next year!"  
  
Roz laughed. ***  
  
"No, no, Donny, that's horrible!"  
  
Donny Douglas never thought it would be that difficult to prepare a party. During the last few hours Daphne had dragged him to all the stores downtown to buy a present for her best friend. She wanted to give him a tie, 'something he would wear on a special occasion.' "Ah! This is just what I was looking for."  
  
Donny looked at the tie on the rack and folded his arms. Watching her selecting two or three from another display, he had to admit they were the kind Niles would wear.  
  
"You sure?" he teased.  
  
"Are you kidding? " Daphne giggled "Dr. Crane will adore this one." She showed him the one she seemed to like the most. "He loves blue."  
  
"I am sure" he said, trying to sound positive. He didn't want to say anything about Niles' visit, trying to talk about Daphne. He needed to find out first if his fiancé had feelings of more than friendship for Niles. "Aren't you taking a lot of trouble with this?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"What do you mean?" She seemed defensive.  
  
"Look, we have spent three hours looking for a tie, I can't imagine how long it'll take us to select the cake and candles." Donny made it seem like a joke and it worked. "I want to do something other than this before I grow old."  
  
Daphne laughed. "I am sorry." She kissed him in the cheek. "I just want Dr. Crane to find it perfect, or else my present will hang in his closet forever." She sighed dreamily. "You know how he is... always neat and well dressed. And the things he says so often make me laugh, it's like he always knows exactly what to say."  
  
"I see," Donny rubbed his chin. "Then I am sure he will simply adore anything coming from you."  
  
"What you mean by that?" He thought she was looking at him somehow defiantly, as if daring him to delve deeper. Like he might discover. something. And that was exactly what he was looking for. The something. There had to be more to all of this than she was letting on.  
  
Or even knew?  
  
For now, though, it might be wise to retreat.  
  
"You're his best friend, aren't you?" he asked in mock innocence.  
  
She smiled. "Yes, I am." She turned her back to him and walked to the cash register, not noticing his irritation.  
  
Later that evening, they found a table at McDonald's, one of Donny's favorite places to eat.  
  
"Ah, food!" He rubbed his hands together, trying to covey a cheerful persona to Daphne, but she was too busy with her list to take notice of the tray containing what passed for a meal. "Something wrong, honey?"  
  
"I must have forgotten something."  
  
Donny frowned. This was getting to be too much. His patience was at an end. For the past few hours he'd let her drag him around town, and he'd had enough for one day. He wanted his fiancé back.  
  
Now!  
  
He snatched the paper from Daphne's hands, folded it, and stuffed it in his breast pocket. She just looked at him, stunned.  
  
"Now we can eat," he said, smiling. His tone told her that shopping was over for the day.  
  
***  
  
Niles closed the door to his office and sighed. According to Clarice he had no appointments until noon, so he had a lot of time. A good three hours to sort through his feelings.  
  
Clarice had left a little wrapped box on his desk. He just placed inside a drawer; he was not in the mood to open any gift.  
  
All he needed was Daphne.  
  
Not to be.  
  
It hurt.  
  
It hurt to know that the object of his deepest love was close by and far at the same tim, and it hurt even more to know he'd set things up to keep it that way.  
  
"Dr. Crane?" Clarice buzzed him  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Mr. Donald Douglas is here and wishes to speak with you."  
  
Oh, great...he thought, sitting.  
  
"Show him in." He leaned back and savored the last moment of peace before Donny opened the door. "Donny!"  
  
"Niles," he replied, sitting across from him.  
  
"Is there something I can do for you?" Niles offered, though he knew the reason for the visit.  
  
Donny sighed in contained exasperation and folded his arms, looking at Niles the whole time.  
  
"You know why I am here, Niles, so, why we don't cut the formality?"  
  
"Fair enough" Niles said, nodding .  
  
"What do you have to tell me about Daphne?" Donny asked, slowly.  
  
Niles got up and walked to the window. It was the same one he was looking at the rain from when this had all started, just a few days ago.  
  
"To be honest," he started, "I don't have anything to say about Daphne." He smiled at the irony. She was the innocent in this mess he had started. "It's more about. me."  
  
"And?" Donny asked.  
  
"I..." he smiled, sadly, and took a deep breath. "Ok. I am in love with Daphne."  
  
Donny held his breath. He was right....but he had to remain calm, he needed all the whole story.  
  
"So that's what you wanted to tell me?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Niles looked at him. "I needed to tell you because I can't stand seeing her with you..." he sighed.  
  
"Listen, Niles."  
  
"No, no," he pressed a palm into the air. "Please, Donny, try to understand... I've loved her for long time, long before she even met you and...you know how ironic this is?... I am the one responsible for that."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I sealed my fate when I hired you as my divorce attorney, though I couldn't know it at the time." Niles laughed bitterly. "And, Donny... I do owe you for all of this." He spread his arms. "My profession, my apartment, my. money. Thanks to you, I am rid of Maris. and I have joyfully looked forward to finally telling the woman I love. how I feel, just to find that. that, some time during it all, she. fell in love with. you." He let his arms drop.  
  
Donny got up.  
  
"Who else knows that. you're in love with her?"  
  
There was no reason to hide the truth now.  
  
"Everyone. but she."  
  
"Niles... tell me, what are you up to...?"  
  
Niles folded his arms and looked out the window  
  
"I won't be able to keep this secret anymore, Donny..." he admitted. "When I am close to her my heart threatens to betray me. That's why I leave when she comes into the room."  
  
"She told me you helped her with her fear of commitment when she knew I was going to propose," Donny said seriously. "Why did you do that?... you had the chance to get rid of me!"  
  
Niles turned around.  
  
"And betray Daphne's trust for a selfish motivation?" Niles shook his head. "No, I couldn't do that... but don't think I wasn't tempted... would you blame me, loving her so much?"  
  
Donny felt a sudden respect for this man. His ethics and loyalty to a friend were above all of his personal needs. He'd given Daphne the best advice even though he knew he'd lost his chance...  
  
"So..." Niles continued. "When I went to your place that night I was seeking your help."  
  
"With what?"  
  
Niles sighed deeply.  
  
"Donny, I want you to keep her away from me."  
  
Donny repeated, incredulous.  
  
"Keep.her. away from you?" An annoyed chuckle. "And what makes you think she wants to be with you? "  
  
"I don't," Niles said. "But..." he sighed. "We both love her, Donny. And don't give me that look, we both want her to be happy." He shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, she is yours now." Donny's face calmed a little. "I don't want to spoil that by, in a moment of weakness, blurting out that I love her ..."  
  
"I don't know what to say," the lawyer said quietly. The image he had of this man, the snob, the weakling in Armani suits, had suddenly vanished.  
  
"Well, don't thank me, please," the psychiatrist said dryly. "I am not doing this for you, or me, but for her..."  
  
Donny looked solemn.  
  
"I have been in love with her for the six years I have known her," Niles said sadly. He reflected briefly on the happy moments of the past, the ones Donny couldn't know. The past his the secret of love.  
  
"Then. Maris was right..." the lawyer said slowly.  
  
Niles sighed and locked his eyes with Donny's.  
  
"She was... but, Donny, what it is fact now is that I will never have her love." Bitterly, he said, "for that belongs to you."  
  
Donny was silent.  
  
"I give Daphne my last gift. I will see her happy with you." Niles didn't want to reveal the anguish in his voice but couldn't help it. "I need her to. stay away from me, that will be the only way I can handle this, and not cause her pain... and to deal with the fact she was always deaf and blind to my feelings, which are so obvious to everyone... else."  
  
Both men were quiet.  
  
Donny wondered what Daphne would say if she could hear this.  
  
That thought made him shiver...  
  
"You do your part, Niles," he said calmly. "And I will do mine."  
  
Niles nodded and turned away.  
  
Donny spun around and left, his heart beating quickly. His mind was in turmoil. One thing was clear, he thought, closing the door.  
  
He was sure he would never meet a more honorable man than Niles Crane.  
  
*** "Dr. Crane!"  
  
Frasier and Martin exchanged looks when they heard Daphne calling. She was frantic and they knew the reason.  
  
She ran into the living room, holding the phone.  
  
Frasier rose from his seat, sherry in hand.  
  
"What's wrong, Daphne?"  
  
"Dr. Crane.. ." She gulped air. "The dinner... the party. " She shoved the phone into his hand. "That caterer of yours made a huge mistake!!"  
  
Frasier faked surprise.  
  
"Hello, Henri?" he said into the phone. "What's the problem... of course, September 15th..." He listened. "Dear God! I was talking about this year, you idiot!" he shouted. "Is there a way to..." Click. "Oh, dear..."  
  
"He said you ordered it for next year!"  
  
"You know how those fancy restaurant people are," Martin chimed in. "They never get it right!"  
  
"Now, don't worry, Daphne, "  
  
"Don't worry Daphne?!" she repeated frantically. "But we have no dinner for the party!"  
  
"Well, I guess we could prepare something here," Martin offered.  
  
"Right!" Frasier nodded, looking pleased. "We can invite him to dinner here."  
  
Daphne glared at both of them.  
  
"Oh, you two are useless! I'll just bloody handle this myself!"  
  
Daphne stormed into the kitchen and yanked open the refrigerator. She extracted the cake and champagne and came back out.  
  
"Maybe you two don't care about making this birthday special for your son and brother, but I do!"  
  
With that she stalked out.  
  
"Daphne?" Frasier called after her. "What are you going to."  
  
He was talking to the air.  
  
Martin snorted. "Nice work, Harvard man."  
  
Then the phone rang. Frasier picked it up.  
  
"Hello? Oh, Donny."  
  
Martin rolled his eyes.  
  
"No, Donny, she's not here. She just left. Look, Donny, we tried to squelch this party idea of hers, but it backfired. As far as I know she's. on her way to. "  
  
***  
  
Daphne arrived at the Montana with cake, gift, and champagne in hand, and walked into the building. The key to Dr. Niles' apartment was in her purse.  
  
She would throw this party even if she was the only one coming. Niles wouldn't mind, she was sure.  
  
To hell with everyone; the other Dr. Crane, Roz, Martin and Donny were fools who didn't know how to make things right and...  
  
She clenched her teeth ... what were all Donny's implications about her and Niles?  
  
Rubbish... she just wanted to make him feel special, because he was special to her...  
  
Daphne stopped at his apartment and, with caution, turned the key in the door.  
  
Slowly.  
  
There was no light on in the living room. He seemed not to be here.  
  
Wonderful!  
  
Daphne locked the door behind her and sat on the fainting couch, placing the cake on the coffee table. Now all she had to do was to wait for Niles.  
  
Hours passed slowly. Daphne shot occasional glances to the door, hoping he would appear suddenly, but he didn't.  
  
The apartment remained silent.  
  
She yawned and rose from the couch, walking to the kitchen.  
  
Five minutes later, two glasses and a bucket with ice for the champagne were next to the cake. Daphne leaned back on the couch and looked at them with sleepy eyes.  
  
Where could he be? she wondered.  
  
Of course, he doesn't know I'm here, and.  
  
The sound of the phone ringing startled her. She rubbed her eyes and, when it rang again, walked to the machine, wondering if it was a good idea to answer.  
  
Who knows, she thought. Maybe it is Dr. Crane and the others saying they want to participate after all...  
  
Her hand brushed the receiver when the answering machine kicked in.  
  
"Now, listen to me, you bastard!"  
  
She stepped back in shock... Donny!  
  
"Daphne is on her way over there, alone, to throw you a party for your birthday, and I warn you, if you try to get close to her, to take advantage of the situation, I will kill you, oh... you don't know me..."  
  
Daphne frowned... what could this be about?  
  
"I don't care how much you love her, or are in love with her. I don't care that you wanted her to be kept away from you so you wouldn't end up telling her your." mock solemnity "best kept six year old secret...I know they all know about it, I'm no fool. I am on my way there to pick her up... I don't know how, after all that we did to stop the party, you managed to convince her to come over, if that's what you did... you'll pay for this, Niles, and I don't need a vision to assure you of that!"  
  
She heard Donny slam the phone down, then the dial tone.  
  
She wasn't able to move. After what she'd just heard everything was different. Totally different... everyone knew... everyone knew? Niles was in love with her. had been for six years... six years?!!!  
  
Oh, my God!  
  
Daphne's heart began to beat faster. Her head suddenly became a twister of ideas, of feelings and images: that tango, Phyllis, the Shangri La....the times they'd shared. it all came flooding back. when they'd had that dinner at his apartment. the woman he was talking about, the dream of his life was. me?... and what did I do?... I blew it! I didn't see it, I was so blind.... so stupid... and yet... still.  
  
I... knew it. All the time.  
  
I just didn't see it.  
  
Niles' eyes... what I saw in them... the other day.  
  
Questions swirled in her head, and she knew that only one person had the answers.  
  
The lights flipped on and Daphne swirled around to the door to find Niles there, standing so still. He looked back at her in shock. The door was still open; one of his hands still held the keys in the lock.  
  
"Daphne..."  
  
Surprise, surprise.  
  
***  
  
Frasier, Martin and Roz were sitting the living room, looking at each other with a mixture of doubt and fear.  
  
All of them were guilty.  
  
Guilty of sabotaging Daphne's party to prevent Niles from seeing her, only causing her to go surprise him alone.  
  
They knew how Niles would feel.  
  
But as hard as it was, it was Niles' personal fight and he had to face it himself. Whatever happened, it was up to him to deal with it. All they could do was to pray everything would end up all right for the younger Crane.  
  
And for Daphne. ***  
  
"How. long. have you been standing there?"  
  
Niles swallowed. "Long enough."  
  
Neither knew how much longer they stayed there, staring at each other. All they knew was that something had changed in these last few minutes. The revelation hung in the air with no need for further confirmation.  
  
The truth.  
  
And the worst part for Daphne was that everyone involved, including her fiancé, had known about it but her, that she was the love. of Niles' life.  
  
Niles looked stunned.  
  
What was he thinking? She couldn't know; he was just frozen there, gaping at her. His mouth moved in a feeble attempt to speak but the words weren't coming.  
  
Finally, Daphne broke the spell, asking a question that seemed stupid now, but she needed to hear it. She needed him to tell her what everyone else knew .  
  
"Is all that true?"  
  
Niles just sighed. "Daphne...I..."  
  
"Is. all. that. true?" she asked again, her voice low and calm.  
  
He walked slowly to the fainting couch. At the sight of the cake, the candles, the champagne and the glasses, a sad smile spread across his face... she was here, on his birthday, all by herself, trying to cheer him up... to surprise him.  
  
That she had.  
  
Niles sat, his eyes fixed on the 'happy birthday' legend written on the cake.  
  
How could he answer? He was tired, emotionally exhausted, and had absolutely no hope here, so, why not? Why not throw all the cards on the table and get it over with?  
  
"Yes." he said quietly, not looking at her. He didn't want to see her reaction, but there was none. She just closed her eyes.  
  
"I love you, Daphne."  
  
There. The words were said. It was an incredible relief. So long locked inside. The feeling of freedom made that phrase go forth with a sigh.  
  
He could hear Daphne moving behind him. He kept staring at the cake.  
  
She is leaving... he thought, and waited for the door to close.  
  
But instead he felt Daphne sit next to him.  
  
He continued looking the cake... and his favorite champagne; what charming detail...  
  
"Why did you never say anything?" she asked. Her voice was tearful.  
  
Niles shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to see her face, her eyes. He was sure he would find anger and hate there.  
  
And the death of a friendship.  
  
"Would it have made a difference, Daphne?" he asked. "Pouring my heart out to a woman who doesn't love me?"  
  
She was startled by the question. "What do you mean?" She now hated how he always had the right thing to say. Or ask.  
  
Niles got up and, grabbing the bottle, he opened the champagne. The pop made Daphne jump.  
  
He didn't speak until he had the glasses filled.  
  
He handed her one.  
  
"You don't love me," he stated flatly, "and I've had to deal with that for the longest time. I've spent six years loving you from afar, dreaming that one day we might be together. Hoping you would conclude, at some point, that I was just right for you and. for a fleeting moment, I thought you might do that." Niles paused, and for the first time since the conversation started he looked directly at her. "But, when I first saw you with Donny I..." he smiled again. "Well, I finally understood that I was wrong, and you'd never love me beyond friendship."  
  
Daphne remained quiet. She was more than lost in his blue eyes, but the twinkle she was looking for was not there now.  
  
Only sadness.  
  
Her heart broke.  
  
"You see, Daphne, when I lived at the. Shangri La, the only thing that got me through all of Maris' humiliations was you. I can't remember how many times I wanted to run back, asking her to reconsider, but," he sighed, "thinking about you always made me stop, endure, get through it. I wanted. needed, to be free to offer you... " Niles paused. "Whatever you may dream."  
  
Then silence again. He left everything hanging in the air between them, leaving room for her to reply, to say something. and he knew this would be the death knell for their friendship.  
  
"But... Dr Crane... Niles." her voice was shaking. "All these years?"  
  
"All these years," he confirmed, nodding.  
  
"But you told me to marry him," Daphne cried. "I made up my mind because you advised me to!"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders "What else would you have expected me to do?" he asked. "You are my friend, and I want, above all, your happiness. Even if the price for that is to see you marry someone else."  
  
She shook her head  
  
Niles sipped his champagne.  
  
"How could you do this to me, now?" she asked, and this time her voice sounded hurt.  
  
"I wanted to keep this a secret, Daphne, I swear I did," he stated truthfully. "I admit now the way I chose was not the best... telling Donny what I feel for you in order to keep you out of my life."  
  
That hurt even more than that the fact that Niles had never said a thing about his love for her. She had trusted him, cared for him, and. she certainly wanted him in her life. That was the reason she was here, to let him know that.  
  
So what really stung was that last part.  
  
"You wanted to keep me away?" she asked sadly.  
  
Niles wished he could evade that question, but there was no way out now.  
  
"I had to," he said, and Daphne quickly looked away. "It was the only way I could deal with the fact that you don't love me, and," he laughed at the irony. "To avoid this very conversation. You mean the world to me, Daphne..."  
  
"...but you wanted me away." She completed the sentence; she sounded crushed. "You told Donny you loved me to keep me away from you."  
  
"Please try to understand..." He tried to approach her but she stepped back.  
  
"No!" she yelled. "How can you do this to me?" she asked frantically.  
  
"I didn't want to interfere in your life," he stated. "You seemed so happy, and .."  
  
"I was!" she yelled. "I was, really, but I can't be now, can I, now that I know that all these years you were keeping this secret from me." She was weeping now. "Tell, me, Niles, tell me why you never said anything?"  
  
"Before. before Donny." Niles stammered. "It was simply fear of rejection, something, I guess, I'd grown to expect. And after. it was too late. You are happy with Donny, Daphne, I had no intention of involving myself in your life. I am so sorry."  
  
Daphne continued to weep. Niles was tearing up as well.  
  
"Daphne. answer this question, if you can." Niles looked her in the eye and sighed. "Could you have loved me?"  
  
Daphne tried to look away but found that she couldn't.  
  
His eyes...  
  
"I... I." It was her turn to stammer.  
  
"Could you love me?" he asked, coming closer. She tried to step back but was frozen. She just looked at him through her tears as he took her to him and held her.  
  
"Dr. Crane.. .please... " She tried to move but her body didn't respond.  
  
"A moment ago you called me Niles," he smiled, and she found herself smiling back. He was dangerously close, she could feel his warm breath. The cologne he was wearing made her dizzy.  
  
In that state of mind she couldn't stop him when he hugged her. On some level she knew she wanted it; she didn't resist but she didn't hug him back. She just stood there. Unable to stop him.  
  
Not wanting to stop him.  
  
Then Niles kissed her, releasing all like a condemned prisoner on his last night. He kissed her with all he had, sure there was no tomorrow.  
  
Daphne felt an incredible force overtaking her, making her surrender. She was barely aware that she had never felt anything like it before.  
  
The feeling of being complete  
  
For this moment, she needed nothing more.  
  
And, for the moment, she was happy. Hundreds of visions were revealed to her. Happy moments, sad ones, long times together. And the constant in all of them were those blue eyes, that warm smile, the protective figure of Niles Crane.  
  
The same person who wanted her away, the same person who had always kept all the promise of happiness to himself. Watching her stumble, so many times in her love life, and run to his comfort.  
  
The same person who went to tell her fiancé that he loved her enough to take her out of his life.  
  
She'd thought she was settled. She was about to marry, to fulfill her dreams And here this man was, her dear friend. saying all this, making her confused, and. kissing her.  
  
No!  
  
Daphne pulled back and, before she knew what she was doing, her right hand flew across Niles' face.  
  
He recoiled and caressed his cheek softly, then looked at her. She escaped from the spell of his eyes, running to the door.  
  
She opened it at the precise moment Donny was prepared to knock.  
  
The lawyer saw her tears and stormed in. "What is going on here?"  
  
She grabbed his arm, stopping him.  
  
"Donny, we should go."  
  
"What he did to you?"  
  
Niles remained silent, looking at Daphne, who wiped her eyes furiously.  
  
"Nothing," she lied. "I just came here to wish Dr. Crane a happy birthday. I was just saying goodnight."  
  
Donny was not stupid. He could feel the tension between them. The cake and champagne glasses were still on the table. The cake was untouched.  
  
"Niles..." he said, warningly, taking a step in his direction.  
  
Niles just stared at him, his left hand still caressing his cheek.  
  
Daphne pulled Donny's arm and stopped him.  
  
"Good night, Dr. Crane," she said quietly.  
  
"Daphne," Niles said as good night. "Donny."  
  
The lawyer watched his fiancé storm out of the apartment.  
  
"Stay away from her, do you understand?" he warned.  
  
"That was the plan, wasn't it? Good night, Donny." He had nothing more to say.  
  
He went into the kitchen.  
  
Donny spun around and started toward the door, but something made him stop. A figurine on the fire place mantle. A figurine from a vision.  
  
Somehow he knew this wasn't finished.  
  
***  
  
When he heard the door finally close Niles sighed, heavily.  
  
It was over.  
  
She had made her choice. There was nothing more to say. He had been found out and had taken the chance, and failed.  
  
Niles came out of the kitchen and went to the coffee table. The champagne was still there so, picking up his glass, he walked back into the kitchen to fetch a box of matches.  
  
A minute later, he was making his birthday wish on his last present from a now lost friend.  
  
***  
  
Donny never knew that he was the one responsible for putting all that had happened in motion. He never knew that his fiancé heard his phone call. A fatal omission that was about to complicate things even more.  
  
"Daphne..." Donny said as they walked out of the elevator. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes," she said, and even though her voice sounded almost normal, her vacant expression betrayed her confusion.  
  
"What did Niles say to you?" he asked.  
  
"Donny, I don't want to talk about this right now." She tried to smile but couldn't. "All I want is to go. home."  
  
"Fine." He opened the door for her. "I'll order us some take-out."  
  
"I meant Dr. Crane's apartment," she stated dryly. "And my car is here, Donny, I don't need you to take me home."  
  
"But, Daphne..." he started.  
  
"Good night, Donald." She walked away quickly and disappeared into the parking lot .  
  
***  
  
During the drive home it all came flooding back to her. She realized she was crying so hard she could barely see the road. She quickly judged that it was no longer safe to drive and pulled over, now sobbing.  
  
My God, I slapped him!  
  
Because he said he loves me.  
  
She needed to sit there and think. Appropriately, the sky opened up and the rain blotted the world out.  
  
Her mind wandered back through the years, all the years of the closeness she felt to Dr. Crane.  
  
No, Niles. Whatever happens next, he's Niles for good, old girl.  
  
She asked herself the inevitable questions. Who's company did she enjoy most in her little circle? Who made her feel most comfortable, most secure, most. loved?  
  
And that kiss.  
  
Oh, God, there was only one answer.  
  
And she had slapped him!  
  
Daphne turned on the windshield wipers, put the car in gear, and turned it around.  
  
***  
  
Niles emptied the bottle into his glass and placed it beside him, the remnants of the champagne she had picked for him.  
  
He sipped the liquid slowly, savoring it. It was excellent; she really knew what his choice would be. Incredible. And ironic.  
  
She'd known what libation he would like but. not which woman he loved.  
  
To think that she'd gone to so much trouble for him, and it had all ended like this. Still, the kiss was his most perfect gift... it was carved into his soul like an eternal flame to his feelings. A true and unstoppable love.  
  
He would revere that moment, keeping it forever alive in his mind.  
  
Daphne, lost in his kiss, her will power suspended.  
  
If only for a moment.  
  
That feeling of bliss, he was sure, he would never experience again.  
  
Niles lifted his glass in toast and took another sip.  
  
Then he picked up her gift.  
  
He removed the card and put it aside for later. First, he had to see what it was.  
  
He meticulously removed the shiny metallic blue paper, revealing a long flat box.  
  
It was a tie. He opened it.  
  
It was so right. A tie he would buy without hesitation.  
  
And she knew that.  
  
He picked up the card.  
  
"To the man who has been always there for me, on his birthday. I wish you the very best. Forever," he read, and smiled automatically. The warmth and simplicity of her words was overwhelming.  
  
"Daphne."  
  
Niles sighed, tears threatening, and rose from the couch.  
  
"Well," he said, shakily, out loud, "I guess the party's over."  
  
He headed for the kitchen, tears now forthcoming. Fighting them back, he set about the chores automatically.  
  
He had never felt so empty.  
  
Niles had stored away the cake and was washing the glasses when the doorbell rang.  
  
And rang.  
  
He angrily threw down the dishtowel and headed for the door.  
  
God, now who's come to wish me a happy birthday, which I would love to just forget, after all that's.  
  
He opened the door and a drenched angel flung herself into his arms.  
  
She buried her face in his shirt and cried, again and again, "Niles, I'm so sorry, so sorry. I."  
  
He shushed her and stroked her sopping hair.  
  
He chuckled. "Why are you always coming to me wet?"  
  
She pulled back and surveyed herself. "Oh, Niles, I'm sorry, I had to park blocks from here, and."  
  
They both burst out laughing.  
  
"Here, let's get that coat off. You can dry off by the fire." Niles took the coat from her and shook it, then hung it by the door.  
  
***  
  
"What are we gonna say?"  
  
"Nothing, Dad." Frasier pressed the button for Niles' floor. He raised the champagne bottle. "We are here to celebrate his birthday, Ok?"  
  
"Geez, he won't bite that." Martin rolled his eyes.  
  
"That's for sure," Roz nodded. "Maybe we should go wait for Daphne at your place. She might spill."  
  
Frasier looked exasperated.  
  
"Look we're here, all right? We will tell him we are here to toast his birthday and perhaps we can see what's going on..."  
  
***  
  
Niles and Daphne had stopped laughing and looked at each other intently.  
  
Both spoke at the same time.  
  
"You came back." "I had to see you again."  
  
Niles guided her to the couch. "Ladies first."  
  
They sat down.  
  
Daphne took a breath. "Niles, I'm so sorry I hit you. I don't know where that came from, I. "  
  
Niles smiled and touched her cheek. "It's Ok. It was appropriate."  
  
"No, it wasn't. I was just so. shocked by all you were. saying, and. doing. Please forgive me."  
  
"Done" He dropped his hand. "Is. that what you came back to say?"  
  
She turned to face him and slipped her hand around his neck.  
  
"Partly." She leaned in and kissed him with the same intensity he had kissed her earlier.  
  
Niles dove into that kiss.  
  
Heaven.  
  
***  
  
The elevator doors opened.  
  
The three got out, but none of them moved beyond two steps into the corridor. Niles' door was visible at the end, half open.  
  
"Frasier..." Roz whispered. "Go see what's going on!"  
  
Frasier looked at his father and producer quizzically.  
  
"Me?" he asked. When they nodded frantically, he added, marching into the corridor, "Oh, all right. I guess I'll have to do all the dirty work..."  
  
Martin and Roz watched him walk down the corridor and knock twice. They saw him open the door and step inside, slowly. Just one step. He peeked in for a view of the couch. He then stopped and retreated, closing the door very quietly. He crept back down the hall, grinning.  
  
"What?" Roz asked urgently.  
  
"I think it's best that we go now," he said, pressing the elevator button.  
  
"But... what?" Martin pointed at Niles' now closed door.  
  
"Dad, Roz," Frasier said when the doors opened. "I'll save this bottle for tomorrow. We, I am sure, will have a lot more to celebrate."  
  
***  
  
When their kiss broke Niles asked, "And this means.?"  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Oh, God. You're sure? Because, Daphne, I can't take much more of this if."  
  
"Oh, shut up, sod!"  
  
She kissed him again, even deeper.  
  
When it broke he enveloped her in a hug. "I have to be dreaming!"  
  
"No such luck, mister. Too late. You're stuck with me now. And. oh, dear, I'm getting you all wet!"  
  
"Both welcome conditions. Um, Daphne, would you. consider staying here. with me. tonight? Nothing has to happen. "  
  
Daphne stood up. "I'd love to, Niles, really. I can't think of anything I'd like better, but. this is so new, and. we're both worn out. And I have an engagement to break tomorrow, among other things. It won't be easy, but I expect Donny already knows, somehow."  
  
He walked her to the door after retrieving an overcoat of his own.  
  
"Here, this one's dry, at least. I'll return yours tomorrow." He held it open for her and she slipped into it.  
  
She smiled. It smelled like him.  
  
"Tomorrow. That sounds so good. Niles, we're.Ok, aren't we?"  
  
"More than Ok." He took her chin and kissed her lips gently. "Tomorrow."  
  
"Yes. Good night, Niles."  
  
***  
  
Donny sat on the hood of his car. He watched as Daphne came out of the building and headed down the block.  
  
He took the little statuette from his drenched pocket and looked at it as a sad smile overtook his face.  
  
The dragon of Daphne's vision. Stolen from Niles fireplace.  
  
He was right. His fiancé.now, he presumed, his former fiancé, was in love with Niles Crane. The question he'd asked himself a few days ago returned.  
  
Should he try to hold onto a woman who is not in love with him? No. He couldn't. He had learned something from that man. He had learned how to love beyond his own needs.  
  
Because that is what love is... real love. To love beyond our decisions, and to decide to let go for the sake of her happiness.  
  
Donny tucked the dragon into his pocket again and, abandoning his car, walked down the street in the rain. It was a long road home, but it didn't matter. He would cry all the way, both as a good bye to Daphne and a celebration for the new love he hoped to find soon.  
  
The End  
  
Thank you for reading this fiction and feel free to email us with your comments, which are highly appreciated, please, email Moxie and Vick 


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